THE  HANDBOOK  OF 
JOURNALISM 

All  about  newspaper  work. — Facts  and  in- 
formation of  vital  moment  to  the  journal- 
ist and  to  all  who  would  enter  this  calling 


BY 
NATHANIEL  C.  FOWLER,  JR. 

Author  of  "Starting  in  Life,"  "The  Art  of  Story 

Writing,"  "How  to  Save  Money,"  "How 

to  Obtain  Citizenship,"  etc. 


NEW  YORK 

SULLY  AND  KLEINTEICH 
1913 


Copyright,  1915,  by 
SULLY  AND  KLEINTEICH 


All  rights  reserved 


PREFACE 

The  little  I  know,  and  the  much  I  know  of  what 
others  know,  are  presented  to  those  who  are,  or 
would  be,  members  of  the  journalist  crew,  without 
which  the  Boat  of  Trade  and  the  Ship  of  State 
would  remain  at  anchor  forever. 


427772 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I  PAGE 

BY  WAY  OP  INTRODUCTION 1 

CHAPTER  II 
NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS 4 

CHAPTER  III 
THE  MAKERS  OF  NEWSPAPERS 11 

CHAPTER  IV 
WHAT  MAKES  THE  NEWSPAPER  WRITER  .  .  .18 

CHAPTER  V 
THE  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 23 

CHAPTER  VI 
THE  MANAGING  EDITOR 27 

CHAPTER  VII 
THE  EDITORIAL  WRITER 29 

CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  NEWS  AND  TELEGRAPH  EDITOR   ....      32 

CHAPTER  IX 
THE  DESK  EDITOR 34 

CHAPTER  X 
THE  LITERARY  EDITOR 36 

CHAPTER  XI 

THE  DRAMATIC  EDITOR  ......      38 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XII  PAGE 

THE  MUSICAL  EDITOR 42 

CHAPTER  XIII 
THE  BOOK  REVIEWER 44 

CHAPTER  XIV 
THE  FINANCIAL  EDITOR 49 

CHAPTER  XV 
THE  POLITICAL  EDITOR 52 

CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  REFERENCE  EDITOR 54 

CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  NIGHT  EDITOR 57 

CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  SPORTING  EDITOR 59 

CHAPTER  XIX 
THE  HEAD  OR  CAPTION  WRITER 62 

CHAPTER  XX 
THE  CITY  EDITOR 64 

CHAPTER  XXI 
THE    REPORTER 69 

CHAPTER  XXII 
A   "NOSE-FOR-NEWS." 84 

CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE    SPACE-WRITER 97 

CHAPTER  XXIV 
THE  WRITERS  OF  SPECIAL  ARTICLES   .  ,    101 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXV  PAGE 

THE  ART  DEPARTMENT 105 

CHAPTER  XXVI 
NIGHT  WORK 108 

CHAPTER  XXVII 
NEWS-DISTRIBUTING  COMPANIES  OR  ASSOCIATIONS  110 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 
PLATE   MATTER 114 

CHAPTER  XXIX 
THE    SYNDICATE 119 

CHAPTER  XXX 

"PATENT  INSIDES"  OR  COOPERATIVE)  NEWSPAPERS  124 

CHAPTER  XXXI 
SCHOOLS  OF   JOURNALISM 128 

CHAPTER  XXXII 
THE   SMALL  DAILY  NEWSPAPER 132 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 
COUNTRY  NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES      .      .      .139 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 
MANUSCRIPT    OR    COPY 151 

CHAPTER  XXXV 
TYPEWRITTEN    COPY 156 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 
ABOUT   TYPE ,    158 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXXVII  PAGE 

TYPESETTING   MACHINES, — THE    LINOTYPE    AND 

MONOTYPE        . 172 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII 
THE  PRINTING  PRESS 176 

CHAPTER  XXXIX 
THE  PUBLISHING  OR  BUSINESS  DEPARTMENT  OF 

A    NEWSPAPER 179 

CHAPTER  XL 
No  CHANGE  IN  SIGHT 188 

CHAPTER  XLI 
THE   TAKING  OP  ADVICE 194 

CHAPTER  XLII 

TECHNICAL  OR  NEWSPAPER  TERMS     .      .      .      .196 

CHAPTER  XLIII 
PROOF-READING         .  .    201 


Ui 
.  ., 


THE  HANDBOOK  OF 
JOURNALISM 

CHAPTER  I 
BY  WAY  OF  INTRODUCTION 

THIS  book  is  not,  and  does  not  claim  to  be,  a 
cyclopedia  of  journalism.  Nor  does  it 
pretend  to  be  a  guide  to  newspaper  work. 

There  are  several  reasons  why  the  author  re- 
fuses to  attempt  to  tell  the  reader  how  he  may 
become  a  journalist  or  newspaper  writer,  or  how 
he  may  do  better  work  if  he  is  already  a  member 
of  the  craft. 

Nowhere  in  this  book  will  be  found  definite  rules 
or  regulations,  which  would  be  of  no  use  to  the 
intelligent  reader,  and  which  would  not  be  under- 
stood by  the  ignorant  one. 

Journalism  cannot  be  taught  by  book  or  lesson. 
1 


2    T^EJ;HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

It  is  not  like  the  concrete  arts  of  book-keeping, 
stenography,  typewriting,  and  a  few  others,  a 
knowledge  of  which  may  be  imparted  by  book  or 
pen. 

Instead  of  attempting  to  teach,  the  author  has 
given  facts  and  information,  which  he  hopes  will 
be  of  benefit,  not  only  to  journalists  in  general, 
but  of  special  moment  to  those  who  would  enter 
what  he  considers  Progression's  Greatest  Voca- 
tion. 

The  author  has  presented  both  the  professional 
and  commercial  aspects  of  the  newspaper  business, 
and  has  dwelt  at  length  upon  the  latter,  because 
it  is  obvious  that  the  financial  or  remunerative  side 
is  of  vital  consequence,  and  will  be,  so  long  as  com- 
paratively few  can  afford  to  devote  their  time 
to  any  vocation  which  does  not  offer  them  a  liveli- 
hood. 

The  author  has  not  allowed  his  own  personal 
experience  as  a  journalist  to  bias  the  advice  and 
suggestions  which  he  has  attempted  to  present. 
He  has  endeavored  to  present  honestly,  conscien- 
tiously, vividly,  and  plainly  both  sides  of  the 
journalistic  shield, —  the  strong  and  the  weak  side 


BY  WAY  OF  INTRODUCTION  3 

of  it, —  as  well  as  typographically  to  paint  tech- 
nical and  professional  pictures. 

He  offers  this  book  as  a  series  of  moving  pic- 
tures of  newspaper  life,  taken  by  the  unprejudiced 
camera ;  and  he  has  attempted  to  print  from  un- 
colored  and  unchanged  negatives,  as  well  as  to 
present  optimistic  affirmatives. 


CHAPTER  II 

NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS 

IN  the  United  States  and  Canada  there  are  pub- 
lished regularly,  a  total  of  exceeding  twenty- 
four  thousand  newspapers,  magazines,  and  other 
periodicals.  Of  these  about  two  thousand  six  hun- 
dred are  published  daily,  approximately  seventy- 
five  triweekly,  not  far  from  six  hundred  and  fifty 
semiweekly,  over  seventeen  thousand  weekly,  about 
sixty  every  two  weeks,  over  two  hundred  and 
eighty  semimonthly,  somewhat  more  than  three 
thousand  monthly,  about  seventy-five  bimonthly, 
and  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  quarterly. 

These  newspapers  and  periodicals  are  pub- 
lished in  about  eleven  thousand,  six  hundred  and 
fifty  towns  and  cities. 

More  than  half  of  the  great  daily  newspapers 
publish  Sunday  editions,  and  there  are  a  few  Sun- 
day newspapers  disconnected  from  daily  news- 
paper offices. 


NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS       5 

Comparatively  few  daily  newspapers  issue  both 
morning  and  evening  editions.  The  large  morn- 
ing newspapers  publish  two  editions:  one  for  out 
of  town,  the  other  for  city  circulation.  The 
small  evening  newspapers  issue  but  one  edition ; 
those  of  moderate  size,  two  editions ;  and  the 
great  city  evening  newspapers  publish  five  or  six 
editions. 

Many  of  the  large  city  dailies  issue  weekly  edi- 
tions other  than  those  published  on  Sunday,  made 
up  largely  from  what  has  appeared  in  the  dailies, 
with  preference  given  to  miscellany  and  other  so- 
called  literary  matter. 

The  Sunday  newspapers  contain  the  current 
news,  but  in  addition  large  quantities  of  miscel- 
lany, special  articles,  and  stories,  including  both 
short  and  serial  stories.  Several  pages  are  de- 
voted to  the  household,  to  fashions,  and  to  special 
articles,  most  of  which  are  profusely  illustrated. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  matter,  other  than 
news,  is  supplied  by  syndicate  companies,  of 
which  I  have  spoken  in  another  chapter. 

Newspapers  published  less  often  than  every 
week-day  seldom  issue  more  than  one  edition. 


6     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

All  daily,  Sunday,  and  weekly  newspapers 
carry  considerable  miscellany,  or  matter  other 
than  news,  and  many  of  them  run  short  or  serial 
stories  and  matter  of  special  interest  to  women 
and  the  household. 

"  Practically  all  of  the  weekly  newspapers  pub- 
lish one  or  more  stories  in  each  issue,  and  devote 
two  or  more  columns  to  short  articles.  But 
most  of  this  matter  was  either  printed  outside  of 
the  newspaper  office,  or  is  received  in  the  form 
of  plates,  an  explanation  of  which  has  been  given 
in  other  chapters. 

-  The  bulk  of  all  telegraphic  and  general  news, 
and  of  news  other  than  that  of  local  character, 
is  furnished  the  newspaper  from  associations  es- 
tablished for  the  collecting  and  distribution  of 
news,  although  great  newspapers  frequently  run 
several  columns  of  news  written  for  them  ex- 
clusively, and  coming  over  special  wires,  or  as 
exclusive  telegrams. 

Practically  all  of  the  local  news  matter  in  a 
great  daily  newspaper  is  written  by  reporters 
connected  with  that  paper,  most  of  whom  receive 
salaries,  the  others  being  known  as  space-writers. 


NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS      7 

I  have  presented  the  duties  of  reporters  and 
space-writers  in  other  chapters. 

Magazines,  and  other  publications  carrying 
stories,  seldom  contain  any  news,  except  in  the 
form  of  editorial  comment,  and  none  of  these 
periodicals  employ  reporters.  Their  editorial 
staffs  are  made  up  of  literary  men  and  women, 
who  do  very  little  writing  for  the  periodicals  they 
are  connected  with,  but  who  are  responsible  for 
the  contents,  almost  everything  coming  from  out- 
side writers,  and  paid  for  by  the  word,  column,  or 
page. 

With  few  exceptions,  practically  all  of  the  so- 
called  literary  magazines,  and  those  containing 
stories,  are  published  monthly,  most  of  the  quar- 
terly periodicals  being  reviews  or  of  an  educa- 
tional character. 

The  periodical  having  the  largest  circulation 
in  America,  if  not  in  the  world,  is  published 
weekly,  and  is  devoted  largely  to  illustrated 
stories  and  to  special  articles. 

Magazines,  and  periodicals  other  than  news- 
papers, carry  stories  and  miscellaneous  articles 
and  furnish  the  principal  field  for  writers  of  lit- 


8     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

erature  and  of  acceptable  material  other  than 
news.  In  later  chapters,  I  have  attempted  to 
cover  this  class  of  work. 

ult  will  be  seen,  then,  that  there  is  very  limited 
opportunity  for  literary  writers  to  obtain  much 
of  an  income  from  any  individual  newspaper,  and 
that  they  must  resort  to  the  syndicate,  to  the 
magazines,  and  to  other  periodicals,  which  do  not 
carry  news,  all  of  which  I  have  spoken  of  in  other 
chapters. 

The  great  newspaper  is  handled  by  specialists, 
and  comparatively  few  of  its  editors  are  familiar 
with  more  than  the  work  of  their  department. 
They  are,  therefore,  unable  to  shift  readily  from 
one  line  to  another.  They  are  merely  specialists, 
ungrounded  in  the  great  science  and  art  of 
journalism.  Because  they  began  as  specialists, 
they  remain  special  writers,  or  handle  the  work 
of  only  one  department. 

An  intimate  knowledge  of  every  phase  of  news- 
paper work  is  necessary,  if  one  would  become  a 
managing  editor,  or  an  editor-in-chief,  or  be  able 
to  direct  the  work  of  a  great  newspaper ;  and  this 
familiarity  with  journalism,  as  a  whole,  is  ob- 


NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS      9 

tainable  only  by  learning  and  experiencing 
journalism  as  a  whole,  by  beginning  at  the  bot- 
tom as  a  reporter,  and  by  mastering  each  round 
of  the  ladder  as  one  moves  upwards.  Conditions, 
—  both  in  business  and  in  the  professions, —  favor 
the  growth  of  the  specialist,  and  thousands  of 
men  never  meet  the  full  of  success  because  they 
began  too  near  to  the  top. 

In  the  olden  days,  practically  every  editor 
began  his  career  as  a  printer's  apprentice,  and 
became  familiar,  by  experience,  with  every  de- 
partment from  the  bottom  to  the  top.  These 
men,  if  they  had  sufficient  ability,  were  able  to 
handle  every  phase  of  newspaper  work,  and  to 
direct  others. 

There  is  an  unwritten  law,  which  seems  to  be 
infallible,  that  no  one  can  direct  another  to  do 
what  he  cannot  do  himself. 

Most  of  our  older  merchant  princes  began  in 
the  country  store,  and  did  every  class  of  work, 
from  sweeping  out  the  store  itself,  to  selling 
goods  and  keeping  books.  They  were  grounded 
in  the  fundamentals  of  business,  and  were  masters 
of  every  detail  of  work.  With  this  working, 


10  THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

practical  knowledge,  they  were  enabled  to  com- 
mand the  work  of  others. 

I  would  advise  every  would-be  journalist  to 
begin  at  the  bottom,  and  to  become  familiar  with 
the  most  menial  work  connected  with  the  news- 
paper. I  would  even  go  so  far  as  to  advise  him 
to  learn  to  set  type,  and  to  run  a  printing  press. 

I  believe  that  education  to-day  is  altogether 
too  highly  specialized.  Instead  of  grounding 
our  young  men  in  the  fundamentals  of  business 
or  of  a  profession,  we  begin  to  make  them  special- 
ists at  the  start,  and  they  enter  life  handicapped 
with  the  lack  of  working  knowledge  of  the  things 
which  they  are  supposed  to  do  and  direct. 

Experience  is  the  world's  most  proficient 
schoolmaster.  Without  it,  one  may  not  hope  to 
walk  more  than  slowly  through  life.  With  it  he 
may  climb  the  mountains  of  success  and  dam  up 
the  rivers  of  disaster. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  MAKERS  OF  NEWSPAPERS 

THE   personnel    of   the   editorial   and   repor- 
torial  departments  of  the  great  metropoli- 
tan  newspaper  may  be  described   generally  and 
broadly  as  follows: 

The  official  known  as  the  editor-in-chief  is  in 
command  of  every  department  outside  of  the 
business  management  and  the  mechanical  produc- 
tion of  the  paper.  He  is  responsible  for  every- 
thing which  appears,  and,  directly  or  indirectly, 
engages  the  editors  or  reporters.  He  is,  theoret- 
ically, at  least,  the  supreme  authority,  the  court 
of  appeal,  and  the  court  of  final  resort,  subject 
only  to  the  owners  of  the  newspaper,  who  make 
the  policy.  Occasionally  he  is  the  principal 
owner,  or  one  of  the  owners,  or  he  directly  repre- 
sents the  owners,  in  which  case  he  is,  in  fact,  gen- 
eral in  command  of  the  journalistic  army  under 

him. 

11 


12     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  editor-in-chief  usually  writes  the  ma- 
jority of  the  leading  editorials,  and  either  he,  or 
his  principal  assistant,  designates  the  character 
or  subjects  of  the  editorials,  which  must  not  be 
at  variance  with  the  newspaper's  policy. 

He  personally  engages  the  assistants,  the  spe- 
cial editors,  and  the  heads  of  every  department, 
which  have  to  do  with  what  appears  in  the  news- 
paper, outside  of  the  advertisements,  although  he 
may  delegate  much  of  this  to  subordinates. 

Directly  under  his  direction  are  the  editorial 
writers,  of  which  there  are  two,  three,  or  more; 
and  besides  them  there  are  a  number  of  outside 
editorial  writers,  most  of  them  being  specialists, 
who  write  upon  the  subjects  they  are  familiar 
with,  and  are  paid  either  moderate  salaries  or  by 
the  piece. 

The  editorial  writers,  who  are  on  the  staff,  give 
their  entire  time  to  the  paper,  and  furnish  most 
of  the  editorials. 

Next  to  the  editor-in-chief  in  importance  is  the 
managing  editor,  who  is  the  executive  officer,  and 
is  under  no  one  except  the  editor-in-chief.  In 
some  newspapers  the  managing  editor  is  at  the 


THE  MAKERS  OF  NEWSPAPERS      13 

head  and  occupies  the  dual  position  of  editor-in- 
chief  and  managing  editor.  He  may  or  may  not 
be  an  editorial  writer,  but  gives  most  of  his  time 
to  the  management  of  the  editorial  and  reportorial 
departments  of  the  newspaper. 

Every  large  newspaper  maintains  several  de- 
partments under  the  management  of  the  follow- 
ing editors: 

(I  do  not  give  them  in  the  order  of  importance, 
because  their  positions  vary,  as  some  of  the  pa- 
pers make  a  specialty  of  certain  features,  and  the 
editors  at  the  head  of  these  special  departments 
outrank  those  who  may  occupy  higher  positions 
on  other  papers.) 

The  dramatic  editor,  who  may  or  may  not  have 
full  charge  of  musical  matters.  He  is  responsi- 
ble for  all  dramatic  criticism  and  news  which  ap- 
pear in  his  paper,  writing  the  leaders  himself,  and 
delegating  other  work  to  his  assistants,  some  of 
whom  may  be  editors  of  other  departments  or 
head-reporters. 

The  musical  editor  prepares  musical  criticisms, 
and  his  work  is  similar  to  that  of  the  dramatic 
editor. 


14     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  political  editor,  who  writes  the  political 
editorials. 

The  financial  editor  attends  to  the  commercial 
news  and  stock  reports. 

The  sporting  editor,  nowadays,  is  one  of  the 
most  important  personages,  and  is  responsible  for 
the  sporting  page  and  all  sporting  news.  He 
does  the  heavy  work  himself  and  delegates  report- 
ing to  special  reporters  or  to  the  regular  re- 
porters. 

The  literary  editor,  who  may  do  the  greater 
part  of  his  work  outside  of  the  office,  superintends 
the  writing  of  the  book  reviews,  and  is  responsible 
for  everything  of  a  literary  nature  which  appears 
in  the  newspaper. 

The  great  newspaper  has  several  telegraph  or 
news  editors,  who  handle  the  news  which  comes  by 
wire.  They  need  not  be  more  than  ordinary 
writers,  but  many  of  them  are. 

There  is  maintained  what  is  known  as  a  read- 
ing desk,  which  is  occupied  by  from  three  to  half 
a  dozen  men,  whose  duties  are  to  read  manuscripts 
of  every  kind,  to  revise  and  correct  them,  and  to 
see  that  nothing  at  variance  with  the  newspaper's 


THE  MAKERS  OF  NEWSPAPERS      15 

policy  or  libelous  appears.  They  need  not  be 
writers,  but  they  must  be  experts  at  English, 
spelling,  and  punctuation,  and,  besides,  rapid 
readers. 

Some  newspapers  employ  what  are  known  as 
head-  or  heading-writers,  but  usually  these  men 
have  other  duties. 

The  local  news  is  under  the  direction  of  the 
city  editor,  who  probably  graduated  from  the 
reportorial  desk  and  is  familiar  with  local  con- 
ditions. He  keeps  an  assignment  book,  and  each 
day  designates  the  work  of  the  regular  reporters. 
His  position  is  one  of  great  responsibility.  He 
employs  several  assistants.  All  of  the  local  news 
goes  through  his  hands  or  those  of  his  assistants. 
It  is  then  passed  to  the  reading  desk. 

On  the  regular  staff  of  the  great  newspaper 
there  are  from  a  dozen  to  three  or  four  times  that 
number  of  reporters,  most  of  them  able  to  handle 
any  kind  of  news,  but  some  of  them  are  special- 
ists and  are  proficient  in  the  writing  of  articles 
of  large  consequence. 

The  young,  or  "  cub,"  reporter,  is  an  appren- 
tice, and  most  reporters  begin  as  "  cubs." 


16     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

There  are  other  special  editors,  but  they  need 
not  be  discussed  here,  because  every  great  news- 
paper maintains  special  departments  which  can- 
not be  described  generally. 

I  have  spoken  particularly  of  each  department, 
including  the  publishing  or  business  side  of  jour- 
nalism, under  separate  headings. 

Life  on  the  great  newspaper  is  strenuous  and 
hard.  If  a  morning  edition  is  published,  few  of 
those  connected  with  it  are  through  with  their 
work  until  midnight  or  even  later,  many  of  the 
so-called  day  force  working  into  the  evening. 
They  are  usually  given  one  day  off  a  week. 
*  The  newspaper  requires  the  attendance  of  all 
of  its  principal  editors  and  writers  until  a  short 
time  before  going  to  press,  one  editorial  writer, 
at  least,  the  city  editor,  one  or  more  news  and 
telegraph  editors  and  desk  men,  and  several  re- 
porters being  required  to  remain  late,  that  emer- 
gencies may  be  met  and  late  news  taken  care  of. 

Either  the  managing  editor,  or  one  designated 
by  him,  remains  until  the  last,  and  personally 
stands  over  the  forms  of  type,  ordering  this  in 


THE  MAKERS  OF  NEWSPAPERS      17 

and  this  out,  as  conditions  and  his  judgment  may 
suggest. 

Let  me  say  in  closing  this  chapter,  that  many 
of  our  best  literary  writers  served  apprentice- 
ships upon  newspapers,  and  owe  much  of  their 
success  to  the  strict  discipline  they  received  and 
to  the  constantly  varying  conditions.  The  news- 
paper is  the  greatest  school  for  writers.  In  no 
other  way  can  one  get  into  as  close  touch  with 
men  and  affairs.  The  successful  journalist  is 
brought  into  the  very  heart  of  action.  He  ob- 
tains at  first  hand  an  insight  into  the  inner  con- 
ditions of  human  life.  I  do  not  believe  that  this 
experience  can  be  duplicated,  or  even  obtained, 
in  any  other  calling.  I  would  advise  the  would-be 
journalist  to  begin  as  a  reporter,  that  he  may 
obtain  that  information  and  experience,  most  of 
which  he  cannot  help  using  in  after  life,  even 
though  he  may  eventually  discard  journalism  and 
take  up  literary  work  or  business. 


CHAPTER  IV; 

WHAT  MAKES  THE  NEWSPAPER  WRITER 

IT  is  extremely  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  pre- 
sent psychologically,  or  any  other  way,  the 
qualities  essential  for  journalistic  success. 

Practically  every  man  with  a  knowledge  of 
English  can  learn  to  write  for  the  press,  and  may 
become  an  acceptable  reporter,  and  eventually  a 
fairly  good  editorial  writer.  But  it  is  obvious 
that  one  with  a  natural  talent  will  climb  the  lad- 
der of  journalistic  proficiency  much  more  rapidly 
than  will  he  who  must  force  himself  to  write  and 
to  produce  under  pressure. 

For  this  reason,  I  would  advise  no  one  to  take 
up  newspaper  work,  unless  he  has  in  him  an  un- 
quenchable desire  to  become  a  journalist.  Bear 
in  mind,  however,  that  this  desire,  even  though  it 
be  at  burning  heat,  is,  in  itself  alone,  an  insuffi- 
cient reason  for  entrance  into  the  newspaper  field. 
18 


WHAT  MAKES  THE  WRITER         19 

Many  of  us  sincerely  desire  to  do  things  which  we 
cannot  do,  yet  I  would  look  upon  desire  as  the 
first  qualification,  for  without  it  more  than  medi- 
ocre success  is  impossible. 

The  vast  majority  of  proficient  newspaper  men 
naturally  turned  to  this  calling,  and  as  naturally 
found  themselves  able  to  compose  readily  and  to 
separate  the  wheat  from  the  chaff. 

Even  at  the  start  they  can  arid  do  produce 
fairly  acceptable  copy.  They  are  observant,  and 
without  undue  effort  they  keep  in  touch  with 
things.  Everything  which  concerns  the  public  > 
interests  them.  Not  only  do  they  want  to  write, 
but  they  do  not  find  it  difficult  to  place  their  im- 
pressions or  thoughts  upon  paper,  or  profitably 
to  chronicle  the  news  of  the  day. 

I  think  that  the  majority  of  successful  journal- 
ists began  to  write  at  the  age  of  even  sixteen  years. 
Some  of  them  were  editors  of  amateur  papers, 
and  others  contributed  to  the  local  press.  Type 
and  the  printing  press  attracted  them.  They 
were  involuntarily  scribblers,  good  letter  writers, 
and  naturally  kept  themselves  familiar  with  cur- 
rent events.  They  were  readers,  especially  of 


20     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

newspapers.  They  loved  to  visit  the  newspaper 
or  printing  office,  and  the  clatter  of  the  press  was 
music  to  their  ears,  and  the  smell  of  printer's  ink 
was  pleas anter  than  the  perfumes  of  Arabia. 
They  never  passed  near  to  a  printing  or  news- 
paper office  without  going  in  or  wanting  to  go  in. 
They  cultivated  the  acquaintance  of  reporters  and 
editors,  and  many  of  them  voluntarily  furnished 
news  items. 

Therefore,  I  say  emphatically,  do  not  attempt 
to  become  a  journalist  if  you  must  make  strenuous 
effort  to  produce  acceptable  matter.  If  you  can- 
not, before  you  are  twenty  years  of  age,  put  your 
thoughts  fairly  well  in  writing,  the  chances  are 
ten  to  one  that  you  are  unfitted  to  enter  the  news- 
paper field. 

I  am  not  depreciating  the  value  of  practice,  for 
without  experience  no  result  is  possible;  and  it  is 
not  likely  that  your  first  efforts  will  be  satisfac- 
tory to  you  or  to  anybody  else,  even  though  you 
are  to  become  a  brilliant  journalist.  Your  early 
work  will  be  crude,  and  probably  will  not  be  ac- 
ceptable to  the  large  newspaper.  But  if  you  are 
going  to  succeed, —  if  the  journalistic  germ  is  in 


WHAT  MAKES  THE  WRITER        21 

you, —  practically  everything  you  write  will  show, 
at  least,  the  prospect  of  eventual  proficiency. 

If,  after  many  conscientious  trials,  you  find  that 
you  cannot  write,  and  if  your  unbiased  friends 
are  of  the  same  opinion,  give  up  all  thought  of 
journalism.  Remember  that  nature  uncontrolled 
is  a  pretty  good  barometer.  If  your  natural  in- 
stincts are  not  permanently  grounded,  the  prob- 
abilities are  that  there  is  some  other  calling  for 
which  you  are  far  better  fitted. 

There  are  exceptions,  and  some  of  the  great 
journalists  did  not  seem  to  take  naturally  to 
newspaper  work,  but  the  rank  and  file  of  them 
loved  the  profession  before  they  entered  it.  They 
would  write,  and  nothing  could  stop  them. 
They  overcame  every  obstacle,  put  their  whole 
heart  into  their  work,  and  to  this  natural  and 
vtiluntary  incentive  they  added  experience,  and 
arrived  at  Success. 

If  you  would  be  a  newspaper  writer,  and  do 
not  live  in  a  large  city,  I  advise  you  most  em- 
phatically to  begin  on  some  small  newspaper. 
Even  if  you  are  a  city  resident,  it  will  be  well  for 
you  to  consider  country  journalism  as  an  enter- 


22     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

ing  wedge.  At  any  rate,  investigate  the  possi- 
bilities of  country  journalism  before  you  connect 
yourself  with  a  great  newspaper,  and  quite  likely 
you  may  decide  to  remain  in  the  country  and  en- 
joy a  local  reputation  and  a  name,  which  may  not 
come  to  you  if  you  enter  the  strenuous  competi- 
tion of  city  journalism. 

Many  a  man  has  received  local  country  recogni- 
tion, and  would  have  been  far  better  off,  if  he  had 
remained  a  prominent  factor  in  his  local  town, 
and  had  not  become  a  mere  part  of  the  great  news-* 
paper  machine,  which  sometimes  grinds  out  lives 
as  rapidly  as  it  turns  out  newspapers. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

EVERYTHING  appearing  in  the  great  city 
newspaper,  except  the  advertisements,  is 
under  the  direction  and  control  of  an  official 
known  as  the  editor-in-chief.  He  may  be  the 
principal  owner,  or  be  financially  interested  in  his 
newspaper.  If  his  position  is  purely  a  salaried 
one,  he,  of  course,  must  follow  the  policy  estab- 
lished by  the  proprietor. 

The  editor-in-chief  usually  writes  the  leading 
editorials,  the  others  being  prepared  by  his  as- 
sistants, who  are  known  as  editorial  writers,  and 
of  whom  I  have  spoken  in  another  chapter. 

With  hardly  an  exception,  editors-in-chief  arose 
from  the  ranks,  and  served  apprenticeship  in  the 
reportorial  department,  mastering  every  detail 
of  newspaper  work  from  the  bottom  up.  Many 
of  them  began  at  the  case,  and  are  familiar,  from 


£4  THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

experience,  with  the  mechanical  side  of  newspaper 
making. 

Probably  the  majority  of  editors-in-chief,  ex- 
cept those  who  began  their  careers  many  years 
ago,  enjoyed  a  college  education,  and  all  of  them 
have  passed  through  liberal  and  extensive  experi- 
ence. 

There  are  in  this  country,  several  great  editors, 
who  graduated  from  the  School  of  the  World,  and 
whose  academic  education  is  limited  to  the  com- 
mon school ;  but  this  condition  does  not  depreciate 
the  value  of  a  liberal  education. 

To  succeed,  the  editor-in-chief  must  be  famil- 
iar with  every  department  of  newspaper  work, 
and  he  must  keep  in  the  closest  touch  with  local, 
state,  national,  and  international  affairs.  He 
must  possess  unusual  discretion  and  discrimina- 
tion, and  be  a  good  executive  as  well  as  an  able 
writer. 

Outside  of  the  business  department,  the  editor- 
in-chief  is  virtually  a  commanding  general,  in 
direct  and  exclusive  control  of  every  department, 
and  he  should  not  be  ignorant  of  commercial 
affairs. 


THE  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF  25 

The  editor-in-chief  receives  the  largest  salary 
paid  by  the  newspaper,  except  those  given  to  the 
publisher  and  business  manager,  and  often  he 
ranks  with  them,  so  far  as  remuneration  is  con- 
cerned. His  salary  is  seldom  less  than  five  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year,  and  from  that  up  to  twice 
that  amount,  or  to  even  fifteen  or  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars,  although  comparatively  few  are 
paid  more  than  seven  or  eight  thousand  dollars. 

As  many  editors-in-chief  financially  control 
their  newspapers,  or  have  interests  in  them,  it  is 
frequently  difficult  for  the  under  journalist  to  at- 
tain this  position,  unless  he  is  able  to  accumulate 
a  sum  sufficient  to  procure  a  part  ownership,  or 
is  of  unusual  brilliancy  and  possesses  tremendous 
executive  ability. 

Connection  between  the  business  or  publishing 
department  and  the  editorial  and  reportorial  de- 
partments is  through  the  editor-in-chief  or  man- 
aging editor,  who  acts  as  executive  officer,  and 
who  communicates  the  policy  of  the  paper  to  his 
subordinates. 

On  the  great  metropolitan  newspaper,  the 
editor-in-chief,  although  in  actual  command,  may 


26     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

have  little  to  do  with  the  employment  of  others 
than  those  who  come  in  direct  contact  with  him. 
With  the  consent  and  advice  of  the  proprietor, 
he  appoints  the  heads  of  departments,  and  holds 
them  responsible  for  their  work  and  that  of  their 
subordinates.  Every  day  he  presides  at  a  con- 
ference attended  by  the  editorial  writers,  and  fre- 
quently by  the  heads  of  departments,  including 
the  publisher  or  his  representative. 

Although  most  of  the  great  newspapers  em- 
ploy a  managing  editor,  as  well  as  an  editor-in- 
chief,  occasionally  one  person  occupies  both  po- 
sitions. 

The  office  of  editor-in-chief  of  the  smaller  daily 
newspaper,  and  of  the  country  weekly,  is  usually 
vested  in  the  proprietors,  or  in  one  of  them. 


CHAPTER  VI 

• 

THE  MANAGING  EDITOR 

THE  newspaper,  unless  published  in  a  small 
place,  is  under  the  direction  of  the  managing 
editor,  who  may  or  may  not  be  the  editor-in-chief, 
and  who  is  not  necessarily  a  prolific  and  able 
Writer.  He  is,  in  fact,  the  chief  executive  officer 
of  every  department  of  the  newspaper,  except 
those  devoted  to  the  business.  As  a  rule,  he  em- 
ploys, or  is  responsible  for,  the  heads  of  every 
department  outside  of  the  business  and  mechanical 
ones ;  and  the  editorial  department,  as  a  whole, 
may  be  under  his  direction.  He  usually  engages 
most  of  the  editors,  and  theoretically,  all  of  the 
reporters,  although  the  city  editor  is  likely  to 
control  the  local  department. 

To  succeed,  he  must  possess  unusual  executive 
ability,  and  be  in  the  closest  touch  with  affairs. 

He  is  under  the  direction  of  only  the  editor-in- 
chief,  and  receives  his  orders  from  him;  but  he 
27 


28      THE  HANDBOOK  OP  JOURNALISM 

usually  takes  the  initiative  and  attends  to  most 
of  his  duties  without  consulting  any  one,  pro- 
viding, of  course,  that  he  adheres  to  the  policy 
of  the  newspaper. 

His  position  is  one  of  great  responsibility,  for 
the  circulation  of  the  paper  and  its  standing  in 
the  community  are  largely  due  to  his  efforts. 

The  managing  editor  should  be  also  familiar 
with  the  mechanical  side  of  the  newspaper,  as 
well  as  with  the  editorial,  news,  and  reportorial 
requirements.  He  must  keep  in  close  touch  with 
everything  which  goes  on,  including  news  in  gen- 
eral, and  it  is  his  duty  to  originate  as  well  as  to 
direct. 

His  salary  is  about  twenty-five  per  cent,  less 
than  that  given  to  the  editor-in-chief. 

The  position  of  editor-in-chief  and  managing 
editor  may  be  merged  into  one  office. 

Some  newspapers,  however,  do  not  label  the 
editor  in  control  with  the  title  of  editor-in-chief 
or  managing  editor,  in  which  case  the  managing 
or  controlling  editor  is  known  as  the  editor,  the 
other  officials  being  called  assistant  editors  or 
heads  of  departments. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  EDITORIAL  WRITER 

A  TEWSPAPERS,  other  than  those  located  in 
L\  the  smaller  places,  employ  from  one  to  sev- 
eral regular  staff  editorial  writers,  who  give  their 
entire  time  to  their  newspapers,  and  who  write  all 
of  the  editorial  matter,  except  the  leaders,  which 
are  usually  written  by  the  editors-in-chief.  Often 
these  assistants  are  responsible  for  the  leading 
editorials,  or  for  some  of  them. 

Every  Jay  a  conference  is  held,  presided  over 
by  the  editor-in-chief  or  managing  editor.  Mat- 
ters of  public  interest  are  discussed,  and  subjects 
assigned  to  the  editorial  writers,  most  of  wkom 
are  especially  proficient  in  some  one  line,  although 
editorial  writers,  as  a  rule,  are  able  to  handle  al- 
most any  subject,,  except  that  of  the  actual  writ- 
ing out  of  news  itself. 

Editorial  writers   are  paid  from  two  to  even 


30     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

five  thousand  dollars  a  year,  the  average  salary 
being  between  three  and  four  thousand  dollars. 
They  are  usually  men  of  very  broad  education, 
and  even  broader  experience,  who  are  in  close 
touch  with  all  human  affairs,  and  are  able  to 
place  their  knowledge  and  impressions  acceptably 
upon  paper. 

The  large  newspapers  employ,  besides  the  regu- 
lar staff  of  editorial  writers,  several  special  edi- 
tors, who,  for  the  most  part,  do  their  work  at 
home.  They  receive  moderate  salaries, —  from 
five  hundred  to  two  thousand  dollars,  or  are  paid 
at  the  rate  of  five  to  twenty-five  dollars  per 
column.  The  editor-in-chief,  or  managing  editor, 
assigns  subjects  for  them. 

These  outside  editorial  writers  are  usually  spe- 
cialists,—  experts  in  some  particular  science  or 
art, —  and  their  work  is  largely  confined  to  their 
specialties.  For  example,  the  great  newspaper 
would  have  on  its  outside  staff  of  editorial  writers 
a  leading  scientist,  an  eminent  doctor,  a  promi- 
nent clergyman,  a  political  writer  of  note,  a  his- 
torian, and  others.  These  writers,  although  they 


THE  EDITORIAL  WRITER  31 

work  usually  under  instructions,  are  allowed  at 
times  to  choose  their  subjects,  and  to  send  in  edi- 
torials at  will,  which  will  be  used,  if  they  are  ac- 
ceptable to  the  commanding  editor. 

Many  literary  writers  take  up  special  editorial 
work. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  NEWS  AND  TELEGRAPH  EDITOR 

THE  great  newspaper  employs  one  or  more 
officials  known  as  news  or  telegraphic  edi- 
tors, whose  duties  are  to  read,  edit,  and  correct 
the  general  news,  most  of  which  is  received  over 
the  wire,  the  copy  usually  going  to  the  desk  read- 
ers for  final  revision;  but  these  desk  readers  do 
not  do  more  than  make  the  necessary  corrections. 
Most  of  the  general  and  telegraphic  news,  except 
that  which  comes  by  special  wire,  is  received  from 
a  news-gathering  association,  and  is  written  upon 
thin  paper. 

News  matter  is  without  headings,  and  the  edi- 
tor must  write  in  the  headlines. 

It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  revise,  or  to  pad 
out,  the  news,  as  telegrams  are  often  quite  con- 
cise, and  admit  of  legitimate  enlargement.  For 
example:  the  paper  receives  the  notice  of  the 
32 


NEWS  AND  TELEGRAPH  EDITOR     S3 

death  of  a  prominent  person.  The  editor  adds 
to  the  telegram  the  life  of  the  deceased  and  other 
information  concerning  him.  The  telegram  itself 
may  give  only  the  date  of  his  death.  It  is  per- 
fectly legitimate  to  attach  to  this  any  amount 
of  matter  about  the  person,  even  to  the  extent 
of  several  columns. 

The  paper  receives  telegraphic  news  about  the 
dedication  of  a  monument,  or  the  opening  of  a 
railroad.  The  news  editor  has  on  file  a  large 
amount  of  information  on  the  subject,  and  he 
adds  this  to  the  telegraphic  report. 

News  and  telegraphic  editors  must  keep  in 
close  touch  with  the  affairs  of  the  world,  and  be 
able  to  diagnose  instantaneously  the  value  of  a 
telegram. 

They  are  paid  from  fifteen  hundred  to  three 
thousand  dollars  a  year. 

The  smaller  papers  may  not  maintain  a  gen- 
eral news  department,  the  work  being  handled  by 
one  of  the  editors  in  connection  with  his  other 
duties. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  DESK  EDITOR 

THE  great  metropolitan  newspaper,  and  some 
of  those  published  in  the  smaller  cities,  em- 
ploy two  or  more  editors  known  as  desk  editors. 

Everything  which  appears  in  the  news  or  edi- 
torial columns  of  the  paper  passes  over  their  desk. 
They  read  principally  for  grammatical  and  other 
errors,  and  may  or  may  not  write  in  the  headings. 

The  introduction  of  the  linotype  makes  it  neces- 
sary for  all  copy  to  be  correctly  written,  spelled, 
punctuated,  and  paragraphed,  that  the  machine 
operator  may  follow  it  completely. 

The  linotype  casts  lines  of  type  (not  single 
type),  and  corrections  cannot  be  made  as  readily 
as  they  are  under  the  old  hand-set  method.  It  is, 
therefore,  necessary  that  the  copy  approach  cor- 
rectness. 

The  desk  editor  has  little  discretionary  power, 
34 


THE  DESK  EDITOR  35 

beyond  making  necessary  corrections  and  seeing  to 
it  that  nothing  libelous  appears.  His  duty  is 
similar  to  that  of  the  proof-reader,  except  that 
his  position  is  far  more  responsible. 

Desk  editors  or  readers  are  generally  well  edu- 
cated, and  good  English  scholars.  They  do  lit- 
tle or  no  writing,  confining  their  work  almost  ex- 
clusively to  correcting  that  of  others.  Because 
their  work  is  somewhat  mechanical,  they  are  not 
paid  large  salaries,  their  average  emolument  be- 
ing not  far  from  two  thousand  dollars  a  year,  al- 
though some  of  them  receive  a  larger  sum. 

The  smaller  dailies  do  not  employ  desk  edi- 
tors, the  editor  himself,  or  his  assistants,  being 
responsible  for  the  correctness  of  copy. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  LITERARY  EDITOR 

ON  the  staff  of  a  great  newspaper  is,  at  least, 
one  literary  editor,  who  is  responsible  for 
the  book  reviewing,  and  who  writes  or  clips  the 
literary  matter  appearing  in  the  paper.  The 
handling  of  so-called  miscellany  may  be  given  to 
him. 

Although  several  literary  editors  began  as  re- 
porters, probably  the  majority  of  them  did  not 
serve  apprenticeship  in  the  ranks,  but  were  en- 
gaged because  of  their  reputation  and  literary 
ability.  They  are  usually  liberally  educated, 
most  of  them  being  college  graduates,  and  several 
of  them  are  writers  of  some  reputation.  They 
should  be  intimately  familiar  with  books  and  gen- 
eral literature,  and  with  the  characteristics  of 
literary  writers,  both  past  and  present.  Their 

36 


THE  LITERARY  EDITOR  37 

style  need  not  be  journalistic,  and  they  are  al- 
lowed considerable  license. 

The  book  and  magazine  publishers  send  copies 
of  their  books  and  periodicals  to  the  newspapers, 
addressed  to  the  literary  editor.  He  writes  the 
principal  reviews  himself,  but  delegates  most  of 
the  work  to  his  assistants,  who  are  usually  out- 
siders. 

Literary  editors,  on  the  staffs  of  great  news- 
papers, receive  salaries  from  two  thousand  to  even 
four  thousand  dollars  a  year.  The  outside  re- 
viewers are  not  paid,  as  a  rule,  more  than  five  or 
six  hundred  dollars  a  year,  if  on  salary ;  and  from 
two  dollars  to  twenty-five  dollars  for  a  single  re- 
view. (See  chapter  on  "  The  Book  Reviewer.55) 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  DRAMATIC  EDITOR 

EVERY  great  newspaper,  and  many  of  the 
magazines,  employ  dramatic  editors,  who  are 
not  supposed  to  handle  any  other  class  of  mat- 
ter. They  have  under  them  one  or  more  regular 
assistants,  and  draft  into  the  service  editors  of 
other  departments  and  the  better  class  of  re- 
porters. 

It  is  obvious  that  in  the  large  cities,  where 
several  new  plays  are  presented  every  week,  no 
one  editor  could  hope  to  handle  all  of  them.  The 
dramatic  editor  selects  those  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance, and  personally  criticises  them,  his  sub- 
ordinates being  responsible  for  the  others. 

The  dramatic  editor,  or  his  assistants,  pre- 
pare the  advance  notices  and  write  the  general 
dramatic  news. 

The  dramatic  editor  may  have  been  a  reporter, 
38 


THE  DRAMATIC  EDITOR  39 

but  reportorial  experience,  although  it  would  be 
helpful,  is  not  required. 

The  dramatic  editor  should  have  a  special 
training,  and  he  should  be  naturally  proficient  in 
his  art.  Familiarity  with  the  stage  is  necessary, 
and  the  editor  must  be  acquainted  personally  with 
actors  and  actresses,  and  with  their  ways,  with 
plays,  and  with  playwrights  in  general,  and 
with  conditions  on  the  stage  itself.  He  must  know 
the  drama  both  from  in  front  and  behind  the  foot- 
lights, and  understand  stage  craft  technically. 
Besides,  he  should  have  a  literary  temperament, 
and  an  analytical  mind,  that  he  may  be  able  to 
judge  a  play  from  a  literary  as  well  as  from  a 
merely  stage  view-point. 

Some  dramatic  editors  graduated  from  the 
stage,  and  are  playwrights.  This  experience  is 
very  advantageous. 

The  dramatic  editor,  above  all,  must  be  a  critic 
and  not  merely  a  writer.  His  sense  of  proportion 
must  be  highly  developed.  He  must  be  able  to 
write  about  a  play,  and  of  the  actors  in  it,  ir- 
respective of  common  public  approval,  for  many 
a  production  is  extremely  popular,  because  of  the 


40      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

stage  settings  and  the  spectacular  effect  and  yet 
deserves  the  severest  condemnation. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  several  plays  upon 
the  boards,  which  are  not  particularly  remunera- 
tive, and  yet  are  genuine  dramatic  classics. 

The  smaller  newspapers  do  not  employ,  as  a 
rule,  dramatic  editors ;  but  one  of  the  department 
editors,  or  a  head  reporter,  is  responsible  for  the 
dramatic  criticism  and  comment.  They  may  re- 
ceive additional  remuneration  for  this  work,  but 
in  many  cases  they  do  not.  Frequently  the  edi- 
tor himself  attends  to  the  drama.  Often  an  out- 
side literary  man  or  woman  is  employed  at  a  mod- 
erate salary. 

Leading  dramatic  editors  enjoy  salaries  ran- 
ging from  two  to  even  four  or  five  thousand 
dollars  a  year,  but  the  average  is  not  over  two 
thousand  dollars.  The  assistants  are  paid  from 
fifteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  dollars ;  but  the 
editors  and  reporters,  who  do  a  part  of  this  work, 
are  paid  nothing  extra  for  handling  the  stage,  if  a 
dramatic  department  is  maintained. 

The   average   editor   and   reporter   cannot   ac- 


THE  DRAMATIC  EDITOR  41 

ceptably  write  dramatic  criticisms,  as  this  work 
may  be  considered  as  in  a  class  by  itself;  but 
some  of  them  have  this  peculiar  ability,  and  are 
drafted  into  service. 

I  would  advise  the  would-be  dramatic  editor  to 
master  the  details  of  journalism. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  MUSICAL  EDITOR 

UNLESS  the  dramatic  editor  covers  the  musi- 
cal news  and  criticism,  the  newspaper  em- 
ploys a  musical  editor,  who  receives  a  salary  of 
from  a  thousand  to  two  or  three  thousand  dollars 
a  year.  He  may  not  give  his  whole  time  to  any 
one  newspaper. 

It  is  obvious  that  no  one  can  write  acceptable 
or  correct  musical  criticism,  who  is  not  either  a 
musician  or  one  who  understands  the  music  from 
the  critic's  view-point. 

The  musical  editor  covers  personally,  or  by  his 
assistants,  all  of  the  prominent  musical  events. 
He  is  familiar  with  the  music  of  the  world,  both 
vocal  and  instrumental ;  and  has  a  large  acquaint- 
ance with  musicians, —  their  ways  and  their  char- 
acteristics. 

Many  musical  critics  are  professors  or  teachers 


THE  MUSICAL  EDITOR  43 

of  music,  and  take  up  musical  criticism  as  a  side 
line. 

The  smaller  newspapers  do  not  maintain  musi- 
cal departments,  but  depend  upon  their  editors  or 
reporters,  or  they  may  engage  a  local  musician 
at  a  nominal  salary. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  BOOK  REVIEWER 

ALTHOUGH  book  reviewing  is  directly  in 
charge  of  the  literary  editor,  the  majority 
of  book  reviews  are  written  by  what  are  known 
as  outside  writers, —  professional  men  and  women 
of  education,  and  of  real  or  alleged  discrimina- 
tion. Some  of  them  are  retired  journalists,  but 
most  of  them  are  writers  of  books  and  of  other 
literature,  and  many  of  them  are  specialists  at 
book  reviewing  and  handle  only  books  in  their 
line  of  experience  and  education. 

The  literary  editor  sends  to  them  the  books  to 
be  reviewed,  and  pays  them  from  two  dollars  to 
five  dollars  for  each  review,  and  more  if  the  work 
is  of  considerable  importance. 

The  book  reviewer  is  theoretically  supposed 
to  read  every  book  submitted  to  him  for  a  review ; 
but,  as  a  rule,  he  merely  glances  through  the 
44 


THE  BOOK  REVIEWER  45 

pages,  unless  the  work  be  one  of  importance ;  and 
he  may  obtain  a  very  imperfect  insight  into  its 
contents.  For  this  reason,  many  reviews  are  al- 
together too  complimentary  or  too  severe,  and  do 
not  do  justice  to  the  authors. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  remedy  this  evil, 
because  it  is  obvious  that  few  newspapers  can 
afford  to  pay  the  price  necessary  for  intelligent 
reviewing;  and  the  reviewer,  if  he  depends  upon 
his  review  work  for  the  whole  or  part  of  his  live- 
lihood, cannot  give  more  than  indifferent  atten- 
tion to  the  majority  of  books  and  magazines  sent 
to  him. 

The  number  of  books  is  legion,  and  proper  or 
comprehensive  reviews  of  them  do  not  appear  to 
be  commercially  profitable.  Then,  many  books, 
—  perhaps  a  large  proportion  of  them, —  are  en- 
tirely unworthy  of  favorable  comment,  and  do 
not  deserve  more  than  a  passing  notice. 

No  one  newspaper  can  properly  or  compre- 
hensively handle  the  output  of  literature  or  of 
alleged  literature. 

The  reviewer  does  his  best  under  the  circum- 
stances, and  he  should  not  be  severely  criticised  if 


46     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

he  does  not  perform  his  work  as  well  as  he  would 
if  conditions  would  justify  a  sufficient  remunera- 
tion. 

Unfortunately,  the  supply  of  good  reviewers  is 
limited,  and  the  newspaper  is  forced  by  circum- 
stances to  employ  those  who  do  not  demand  high 
prices  for  their  work. 

Learning,  and  even  an  intimate  familiarity 
with  the  subject,  sometimes  work  the  opposite 
from  the  intention,  and  many  book  reviewers,  like 
other  professional  writers,  are  biased  and  preju- 
diced. They  may,  therefore,  condemn  a  work 
which  should  be  commended,  and  speak  in  the 
highest  praise  of  one  which  happens  to  appeal  to 
them,  and  yet  is  not  altogether  meritorious. 

Until  a  scale  is  discovered,  which  will  actually 
weigh  literary  values,  it  will  be  impossible  for 
more  than  a  talented  few  correctly  to  discrimi- 
nate, or  properly  to  present  other  than  generali- 
ties. Skimmers  of  books,  rather  than  reviewers 
of  books,  will  flourish  until  the  public  taste  is  suf- 
ficiently elevated  to  raise  the  wages  of  those  who 
would  do  better,  if  doing  their  best  would  bring 
in  enough  money  to  permit  the  spreading  of  more 


THE  BOOK  REVIEWER  47 

than  a  thin  layer  of  butter  upon  their  daily  bread. 

Some  book  reviewers  are  men  and  women  of 
moderate  incomes  beyond  their  reviewing  receipts, 
and  are  of  exceptional  ability. 

The  reviewer,  underpaid  though  he  may  be,  and 
undertrained  in  many  cases,  is  not  below  the  level 
of  the  average  book  writer  who  conceitedly  ex- 
pects the  reviewer  to  cover  his  printed  weeds  with 
the  flowers  of  scented  flattery. 

No  book  reviewer,  however  able  or  conscien- 
tious, can  hope  to  receive  more  than  moderate  re- 
muneration for  his  work,  simply  because  commer- 
cialism does  not  demand  perfection  in  this  line; 
nor  can  any  one  properly  review  all  of  the  books 
published,  however  much  he  may  desire  to  do  so. 

Some  book  reviewers, —  and  many  of  the  best 
of  them, —  cannot  produce  good  literature ;  but 
they  understand  it,  and  have  literary  tempera- 
ments, which  will  permit  them  to  do  the  highest 
grade  of  review  work. 

Good  book  reviewing  requires  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  literature,  both  ancient  and  modern, 
and  a  close  familiarity  with  authors  and  their 
styles. 


48     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

Some  newspapers,  however,  make  a  specialty  of 
book  reviewing,  and  their  reviews  are  considered 
authoritative. 

The  book  reviewer  frequently  does  other  work, 
which  adds  to  his  income,  and  he  may  obtain  ad- 
ditional money  by  selling  the  books  which  he  re- 
viewed. This  practice,  although  it  would  appear 
to  be  unethical,  has  become  common,  and  pub- 
lishers will  purchase  the  books  that  they  have 
given  to  the  reviewer  for  review,  at  the  wholesale 
price. 

The  average  editor  is  not  a  good  book  reviewer. 

Book  reviewing  may  be  considered  a  trade  by 
itself,  and  not  a  part  of  active  journalism. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  FINANCIAL  EDITOR 

THE  leading  newspapers  carry  daily  from  a 
few  columns  to  a  whole  page  or  more  of 
financial    news    and    comment,    including    stock 
reports. 

Americans,  more  than  those  of  any  other  nation- 
ality, are  of  speculative  temperaments.  Prob- 
ably three  fourths  of  the  men,  other  than  of  the 
laboring  classes,  and  not  a  few  women,  are  tran- 
sient or  regular  readers  of  financial  news ;  and 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  persons,  who  are  not 
speculators,  follow  the  stock  market  to  some  ex- 
tent. 

The  newspaper,  even  when  published  in  a  small 
city,  finds  it  necessary  to  recognize  this  demand; 
and  practically  every  newspaper,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  country  weeklies,  maintains  a  financial 
department,  but  only  the  larger  papers  employ 
financial  editors. 

49 


50     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  financial  editor  occupies  a  position  of 
great  responsibility,  and  draws  a  salary  of  sev- 
eral thousand  dollars. 

He  need  not  be  a  versatile  or  talented  writer, 
but  he  must  have  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
men  of  financial  affairs,  and  be  able  to  weigh  the 
value  of  stocks  and  bonds  with  some  degree  of 
accuracy.  He  must  be  concise,  and  should  be 
conservative. 

The  regular  journalist,  or  editorial  writer,  is 
unfitted  to  assume  this  position. 

The  financial  editor,  although  he  is  on  the  staff 
of  the  newspaper,  is  not  a  journalist  under  the 
common  definition  of  the  term.  He  has  prob- 
ably been  connected,  directly  or  indirectly,  with 
some  brokerage  house,  or  else  he  has  become  fa- 
miliar with  stocks  and  bonds  through  much  ex- 
perience. He  is  not,  as  a  rule,  a  speculator, 
probably  because  he  is  in  a  position  to  realize  the 
desperate  chances  taken  by  those  who  play  the 
market. 

He  obtains  his  news  from  the  stock  boards, 
from  the  brokers  and  bankers,  and  some  of  it 
comes  by  special  wire. 


THE  FINANCIAL  EDITOR  51 

His  department  is  very  largely  removed  from 
the  others,  and  he  has  little  to  do  with  the  man- 
agement of  the  paper,  his  responsibility  being 
limited  to  the  accomplishment  of  his  special  work. 

The  smaller  daily  newspapers  carry  financial 
news,  but  do  not  maintain  financial  departments, 
the  work  being  under  the  direction  of  one  of 
the  editors,  or  attended  to  by  some  local  broker. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  POLITICAL  EDITOR 

MOST  newspapers,  both  large  and  small,  are 
affiliated  with,  or  support,  one  of  the 
great  political  parties ;  but  the  truly  great  news- 
paper does  not  allow  party  influence  to  interfere 
with  its  news,  or  with  its  policy,  outside  of  the 
editorial  columns. 

There  are,  however,  quite  a  number  of  so- 
called  independent  papers,  which  either  are,  or 
are  supposed  to  be,  nonpolitical.  But  all  news- 
papers, whether  partisan  or  independent,  edi- 
torially refer  to  political  parties  and  to  politics. 

The  great  newspaper  employs  one  or  more  edi- 
tors, who  make  a  specialty  of  political  editorials, 
and  who  keep  in  the  closest  touch  with  party 
movements.  They  may  or  may  not  write  upon 
other  subjects. 

In  the  majority  of  papers,  however,  one  of  the 


THE  POLITICAL  EDITOR  53 

regular  editors  attends  to  politics,  in  connection 
with  his  other  duties. 

The  political  editor's  position  is  one  of  great 
responsibility,  if  his  paper  is  strongly  partisan, 
and  he  enjoys  an  income  of  several  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year. 

Many  of  the  political  editorials,  however,  are 
written  by  outside  writers,  who  receive  nominal 
salaries,  or  work  by  the  piece.  The  editor-in- 
chief  is  likely  to  write  most  of  the  leading  polit- 
ical editorials,  even  though  the  newspaper 
employs  a  political  editor. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  REFERENCE  EDITOR 

THE  great  newspaper  maintains  a  depart- 
ment of  reference,  under  the  direction  of  a 
chief,  with  one  or  more  assistants,  whose  duties 
are  to  index  or  file  all  important  matters  of  news, 
for  which  may  arise  occasion  for  reference. 
They  have  what  is  known  as  a  "  graveyard," 
which  carries,  properly  indexed,  the  biographies, 
of,  and  other  information  about,  prominent  per- 
sonages of  the  city,  the  state,  the  nation,  and  the 
world.  This  department  carries  a  well-main* 
tained  biographical  library,  as  well  as  an  envelope 
file  of  clippings.  The  editors  and  reporters  have 
access  to  this  information,  most  of  which  is  in- 
stantly available. 

If  a  prominent  man  dies,  an  editor  connected 
with  this  department  immediately  prepares  a 
biography,  which  appears  in  connection  with  the 

news  announcing  his  death.     The  telegraphic  dis- 
54 


THE  REFERENCE  EDITOR  55 

patch,  perhaps,  contains  only  these  words,  "  Con- 
gressman George  W.  Smith  died  at  eleven  o'clock 
last  night."  This  announcement  may  be  followed 
by  a  long  or  short  biography. 

It  is  a  common  custom,  in  newspaper  offices,  to 
place  in  type  the  biography  or  life  of  a  prominent 
man,  if  he  is  dangerously  ill,  so  that  the  news- 
paper will  be  prepared  to  give  him  a  column  or 
more,  should  he  expire  just  before  the  paper  goes 
to  press. 

It  is  said  that  some  newspapers  keep  on  file 
more  than  a  hundred  thousand  biographies  and 
other  references. 

To  illustrate  the  importance  and  efficiency  of 
this  department,  may  I  submit,  by  way  of  exam- 
ple, the  following:  A  great  railroad  accident 
occurs.  The  reference  editor,  in  a  few  moments, 
can  give  a  reporter,  or  other  writer,  a  complete 
list  of  similar  accidents  or  those  which  have  oc- 
curred during  the  year,  and  they  may  be  woven 
into  the  report. 

From  this  department,  the  editors  and  report- 
ers can  obtain  information  which  materially  adds 
to  the  value  of  their  reports. 


56  THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

Let  us  suppose,  that  the  jury  had  brought  in 
a  verdict  in  an  important  case.  The  reference 
department  has,  ready  for  immediate  delivery, 
newspaper  clippings  and  other  information  con- 
cerning the  trial,  and  a  resume  of  it  may  be  writ- 
ten to  accompany  the  announcement  of  the 
verdict. 

The  reference  department  contains  practically 
everything  which  is  likely  to  be  used,  and  which 
will  enable  the  editor  or  reporter  to  make  his 
editorial,  article,  or  report  of  any  event  much 
more  comprehensive,  valuable,  and  interesting, 
than  would  be  possible  if  this  information  was 
not  at  instant  command. 

The  reference  editor  is  quite  an  important  per- 
sonage, has  a  very  retentive  memory,  is  systematic, 
and  is  somewhat  of  an  historian.  His  salary 
ranges  from  fifteen  hundred  to  even  three  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year. 

The  smaller  papers  do  not  employ  reference 
editors,  but  usually  maintain  a  reference  library, 
to  which  the  entire  staff  has  access.  It  is  at- 
tended to  by  one  of  the  regular  editors. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  NIGHT  EDITOR 

THE  great  morning  newspaper  employs  what 
is  known  as  a  night  editor,  whose  special 
duty  is  to  remain  until  the  newspaper  goes  to 
press. 

In  the  absence  of  the  editor-in-chief  or  man- 
aging editor  he  is  in  complete  control.  It  is  for 
him  to  designate,  at  the  last  moment,  what  shall 
and  shall  not  appear,  and  he  may  exercise  this 
right  without  hindrance,  except  that  he  has  no 
control  over  what  the  editor-in-chief  or  managing 
editor  has  peremptorily  ordered  to  be  published. 

Quite  often,  after  the  paper  is  practically 
made  up,  an  important  event  occurs,  which  neces- 
sitates the  use  of  large  space;  and  much  news, 
which  has  already  been  set,  must  be  omitted  to 
make  room  for  it. 

The  night  editor  must  possess  discriminating 
57 


58     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

ability  of  the  highest  order,  and  be  able  instan- 
taneously to  decide  important  questions. 

Most  night  editors  have  set  type,  and  are  able 
to  read  it.  Late  at  night  they  stand  over  the 
forms  in  the  composing  room,  and  direct  the 
make-up  man,  ordering  this  article  in  and  this 
one  out. 

As  the  night  editor  occupies  a  place  of  con- 
siderable responsibility,  he  is  paid  from  two  to 
even  three  or  four  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

The  position  of  night  editor  does  not  always 
exist  in  the  small  newspaper  offices,  as  the  editor 
himself  is  likely  to  remain  until  the  newspaper 
goes  to  press. 

The  night  editor,  however,  may  have  other 
duties  and  occupy  some  editorial  chair  other  than 
acting  as  the  "  last  editor  on  deck." 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  SPORTING  EDITOR 

ALL     metropolitan    newspapers,    and    many 
which  are  published  in  the   smaller   cities, 
employ  sporting  editors,  who  are  directly  respon- 
sible for  the  sporting  news, —  local,  national,  and 
international. 

The  attention  given  to  sports  has  grown  tre- 
mendously during  the  last  few  years,  many  news- 
papers devoting  from  one  to  several  pages  to 
sporting  matters,  and  especially  to  baseball. 
/The  sporting  editor  need  not  necessarily  be 
an  athlete,  or  have  been,  or  be,  actively  engaged 
in  sports ;  but  he  must  be  thoroughly  familiar 
with  them,  both  technically  and  generally,  that 
he  may  be  able  to  present  the  news  and  data  in- 
terestingly to  his  readers.  He  should  be  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  leading  sporting  men, 

and  thoroughly  understand  the  rules  and  regula- 
59 


60     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

tions  of  every  sport,  from  baseball  to  football, 
from  canoeing  to  yachting. 

The  sporting  editor  usually  begins  as  a  regu- 
lar reporter,  in  which  position  he  was  trained  to 
handle  news  in  general,  as  well  as  to  write  special 
or  sporting  events.  The  chances  are  that  he  has 
sometime,  during  his  life,  actively  engaged  in 
sports,  or  was  a  patron  of  sports. 

The  writing  of  sporting  news  may  be  consid- 
ered an  art  in  itself,  and  this  work  cannot  be 
acceptably  handled  by  one  who  does  not  have  an 
aptitude  for  it. 

The  ball  field,  and  other  fields  of  sport,  have 
a  vernacular  of  their  own,  which  the  sporting 
editor  must  be  familiar  with;  otherwise,  he  can- 
not present  events  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
reader  of  sports. 

Probably  more  license  is  given  to  the  handling 
of  sports  than  to  any  other  department  of  jour- 
nalism, and  what  would  not  be  considered  good 
English  or  even  refinement,  is,  by  custom,  per- 
missible in  the  sporting  columns. 

Because  practically  all  men,  and  some  women, 
are  directly  or  indirectly  interested  in  one  or 


THE  SPORTING  EDITOR  61 

more  sports,  the  sporting  editor  occupies  a  posi- 
tion which  commands  a  large  salary,  even  running 
into  the  thousands,  comparatively  few  first-class 
ones  receiving  less  than  thres  thousand  dollars  a 
year. 

The  sporting  editor  has  the  assistance  of  many 
of  the  reporters  on  the  regular  staff,  who  are 
competent  to  write  upon  the  subject,  and  he  often 
obtains  articles  from  leading  sportsmen,  which 
add  materially  to  the  value  of  the  sporting  pages. 

The  smaller  newspapers,  however,  do  not,  as  a 
rule,  employ  a  sporting  editor  or  reporter,  who 
gives  his  entire  time  to  sports,  but  one  of  the 
editors  or  reporters  handles  them  in  connection 
with  other  work. 

The  syndicate  companies  are  now  furnishing 
sporting  matter,  with  illustrations,  which  is  sent 
to  the  newspapers  in  the  form  of  proofs,  or  in 
matrix,  or  in  plates,  enabling  them  to  obtain,  at 
small  expense,  the  gist  of  the  sporting  news 
other  than  local. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  HEAD  OR  CAPTION  WRITER 

THE  circulation  of  the  newspaper  is  not  inde- 
pendent of  the  headings  it  uses  over  news 
and  other  matter.  Many  readers  do  not  peruse 
any  article  at  length,  or  read  it  in  its  entirety, 
but  depend  upon  the  headings  for  information. 

This  condition  commercially  justifies  the  use  of 
large  type  and  sensational  headlines. 

Because  of  the  demand  for  startling,  sensa- 
tional, and  descriptive  headings,  the  heading 
writer  occupies  a  position  of  much  responsibility. 
He  should  be  a  rapid  reader  and  able  to  get  at 
the  gist  of  an  article  or  piece  of  news  at  a  glance, 
that  he  may  describe  or  present  the  subject  in  the 
heading,  with  or  without  subheadings,  so  that 
the  reader  may  anticipate  what  the  article  con- 
tains. 

The  heading  must  not  only  give  information, 


THE  HEAD  OR  CAPTION  WRITER     63 

but  it  must  create  interest  on  the  part  of  the 
reader. 

It  is  quite  necessary  that  the  heading  writer 
have  a  knowledge  of  type,  that  he  may  be  able 
instantly  to  write  a  heading  which  will  typograph- 
ically fit  into  the  space  given  him  and  follow  the 
typographical  dress  of  the  paper. 

While  all  editors  and  reporters  are  fairly  ef- 
ficient headline  writers,  comparatively  few  of 
them  are  experts  at  it.  Efficiency  in  this  direc- 
tion seems  to  require  a  special  aptitude,  and  may 
be  considered  as  an  art  in  itself. 

The  writer  of  headings,  however,  usually  has 
other  duties,  and  may  be  a  desk  editor. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  CITY  EDITOR 

METROPOLITAN  newspapers,  and  those 
published  in  cities  of  fair  size,  maintain 
a  city  department  under  the  management  of  what 
is  known  as  a  city  editor,  who  usually  employs 
one  or  more  assistants.  This  official  is  respon- 
sible for  the  gathering  of  the  local  news,  and  is 
in  direct  charge  of  all  of  the  reporters,  including 
the  suburban  news-gatherers,  unless  there  is  a 
special  editor  over  them. 

He  keeps  an  assignment  book  or  diary,  in 
which  he  enters,  frequently  as  far  ahead  as  a  year, 
events  which  are  scheduled  to  take  place  or  which 
may  occur. 

In  addition  to  this  he  carries,  properly  filed, 
clippings  relative  to  coming  and  past  events,  to 
which  his  reporters,  as  well  as  himself,  have  ac- 
cess. 

Each  day  he  assigns  the  principal  work  for 
64 


THE  CITY  EDITOR  65 

the  reporters,  giving  to  each  one  of  them  some- 
thing specific  to  do.  He  is,  in  fact/  the  local 
news  captain,  and  his  reporters  may  be  likened 
to  scouts.  He  is  held  responsible  for  all  of  the 
local  news,  and  it  is  for  him  to  designate  the 
length  of  the  reports.  The  manuscript  or  copy 
of  everything  brought  in,  however,  after  passing 
over  his  desk,  is  usually  sent  to  the  readers,  if 
the  newspaper  has  them,  and  from  there  goes  to 
the  composing  room. 

The  city  editor,  as  a  rule,  engages  his  report- 
ers and  discharges  them  at  will,  although  occa- 
sionally applications  and  discharges  must  be 
passed  upon  by  the  managing  editor  or  the  editor- 
in-chief. 

The  position  of  city  editor  is  of  tremendous 
importance,  for  unless  he  be  competent,  the 
newspaper  may  not  hope  to  maintain  an  extensive 
local  circulation. 

The  city  editor's  salary  ranges  from  two  thou- 
sand to  possibly  five  thousand  dollars  a  year  on 
the  great  metropolitan  newspaper,  although 
comparatively  few  of  them  receive  the  larger  sum. 
His  assistants  are  paid  from  twenty-five  to  forty 


66      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

dollars  a  week,  and  some  of  them  may  receive 
more. 

The  city  editor  is  usually  a  versatile  and  pro- 
lific writer,  but  he  may  succeed  without  the  ability 
to  produce  matter. 

On  the  great  newspapers,  the  city  editor  does 
little  or  no  writing,  devoting  his  energies  to  the 
superintendence  of  his  reporters. 

Practically  all,  and  I  think  I  may  say  all,  city 
editors,  were  once  reporters ;  otherwise,  they 
would  not  be  competent  to  fill  the  office.  They 
must  be  thoroughly  familiar  with  local  affairs, 
with  local  names  and  reputations ;  and  they  must, 
further,  be  expert  discriminators  of  news,  that 
they  may,  at  a  glance,  decide  the  space  which  any 
particular  article  or  news  is  entitled  to. 

The  city  editor  must  keep  his  finger  upon  the 
local  pulse,  and  seemingly  and  intuitively  know 
what  the  readers  most  desire.  Not  only  should 
he  be  familiar  with  every  department  of  the  news- 
paper, but  he  must  work  in  close  harmony  with 
the  other  editors  and  managers ;  for  it  is  obvious 
that  the  amount  of  space  which  he  will  have  at 
his  disposal  on  any  one  day  is  not  independent 


THE  CITY  EDITOR  67 

of  the  volume  of  important  telegraphic  or  general 
news,  or  of  the  advertising. 

The  city  editor  must  be  able  to  anticipate,  to 
some  extent,  and  to  decide  almost  instantaneously, 
the  amount  of  space  which  he  can  give  that  day 
to  the  local  news,  and  so  proportion  it  that  the 
paper  will  cover  its  field,  with  little  omitted,  even 
though  concentration  may  be  necessary. 

The  city  editor  of  a  smaller  daily  frequently 
does  some  of  the  reporting,  and  his  best  reporter 
acts  as  his  assistant,  although  he  may  not  hold 
the  title  of  assistant  city  editor.  Small  dailies 
do  not,  as  a  rule,  employ  city  editors,  as  the  edi- 
tor himself  assumes  the  management  of  many,  if 
not  all,  of  the  departments. 

The  city  editor  of  a  newspaper  outside  of  the 
large  cities  is  paid  from  a  thousand  to  two  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year,  the  average  salary  not  ex- 
ceeding fifteen  hundred  dollars. 

Unless  the  city  editor  is  a  proficient  writer,  he 
is  likely  to  remain  in  the  city  department  and 
not  to  be  promoted  to  the  editorial  desk  or  to  the 
managing  editorship.  But  I  think  fully  one-half 
of  the  editorial  writers,  managing  editors,  and 


68     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

editors-in-chief  served  apprenticeship  in  the  re- 
portorial  ranks,  and  acted  as  city  editors  for  a 
while.  In  no  other  way  can  they  obtain  a  close 
insight  into  human  affairs,  and  the  discipline  of 
the  city  desk,  following  that  of  reportorial  work, 
gives  them  a  grasp  upon  current  conditions 
which  will  be  of  material  benefit  to  them  in  every 
department  of  journalism. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  REPOETEE 

THE  reporter  is,  journalistically  speaking,  a 
gatherer  of  news,  and  most  reportorial 
work  is  confined  to  the  writing  of  local  happen- 
ings. 

The  great  metropolitan  newspaper  maintains 
a  residential  staff  of  from  twenty-five  to  fifty 
reporters,  a  part  of  them  being  known  as  regular 
reporters  or  reporters-at-large,  who  do  the  work 
assigned  to  them  by  their  city  editors,  while 
others  are  called  district  and  special  men,  whose 
duties  are  tp  cover  prescribed  or  local  territory, 
or  to  handle  some  one  class  of  news. 

The  district  men  are  under  the  direction  of  the 
suburban  editor,  or  of  the  city  editor,  if  there  is 
no  suburban  editor.  These  reporters  are  largely 
in  command  of  themselves,  and  their  work  is  not 
laid  out  for  them.  They  are  supposed  to  cover 
69 


70     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

their  territory  according  to  their  own  judgment, 
giving  preference  to  the  news  which  would  be  es- 
pecially interesting  to  their  constituency. 

The  regular  reporters  are  connected  with  the 
home  office  staff,  make  their  headquarters  in  the 
city  room  of  the  newspaper,  and  receive  daily 
instructions  from  the  city  editor,  who  keeps  an 
assignment  book,  and  lays  out  the  work  for  his 
men,  giving  to  each  one  of  them  an  important 
assignment  or  several  of  minor  consequence.  As 
a  rule,  one  reporter  is  assigned  to  a  piece  of 
work,  but  if  it  is  of  unusual  importance  two  or 
more  may  cover  it,  the  city  editor,  or  the  reporter 
in  charge  of  it,  running  these  reports  together, 
so  that  the  result  appears  to  be  written  by  one 
person.  For  example:  a  murder  has  been  com- 
mitted, and  the  crime,  with  its  connections,  is  of 
sufficient  importance  for  a  first-page  story.  It 
is  quite  obvious  that  no  one  reporter  could  handle 
it,  so  several  reporters  are  assigned  to  the  work, 
the  responsible  reporter  doing  the  better  or  larger 
part  of  it. 

Every  great  newspaper  employs  two  or  more 
reporters   of  unusual   ability,   who   are   assigned 


THE  REPORTER  71 

to  cover  important  events.  They  are  usually 
versatile  writers,  who  can  acceptably  handle  any- 
thing from  a  tragedy  to  a  convention.  They  may 
or  may  not  be  stenographers.  If  they  are  not, 
and  a  stenographic  report  is  necessary,  a  short- 
hand man  will  be  assigned,  who  will  work  under 
their  direction. 

But  every  regular  reporter,  although  more  or 
less  of  a  specialist,  and  better  adapted  to  one  class 
of  work  than  to  reporting  in  general,  is  usually 
able  to  cover  successfully  practically  every  event 
which  occurs. 

Leading  newspapers  employ  several  depart- 
ment reporters,  each  of  whom  devotes  the  major 
part  of  his  time  to  some  one  class  of  news, —  one 
reporter  covering  courts,  another  fires,  another 
politics,  etc. 

On  the  staff  are  one  or  more  reporters,  who 
are  competent  to  handle  special  articles,  and 
who  are  able  to  write  out  their  impressions  of 
famous  men  who  are  visiting  the  city;  or  to  cover 
the  dedication  of  a  monument,  or  the  opening  of 
a  bridge  or  railroad.  These  men  have,  at  least, 
the  semblance  of  a  literary  style,  and  most  of 


72  THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

them  could,  if  they  would,  produce  acceptable 
magazine  or  book  matter. 

Of  course,  every  reporter  is  supposed  to  keep 
his  eyes  open,  and  to  bring  to  the  office  any  news 
which  he  happens  to  run  across,  even  though  it 
may  be  out  of  his  jurisdiction.  If  he  has  time, 
he  writes  it  himself.  If  not,  the  city  editor  as- 
signs a  reporter  to  the  work. 

Suburban  reporters, —  those  handling  a  terri- 
tory or  territories  exclusively, —  do  not  go  out- 
side of  their  districts.  If  a  very  important  event 
occurs,  the  city  editor  assigns  to  them  one  or 
more  regular  staff  men,  who,  in  most  cases,  work 
under  their  direction.  Much  of  the  news  gath- 
ered by  the  suburban  reporters  is  telephoned  or 
telegraphed  to  the  office. 

Staff  or  regular  reporters, —  those  directly 
connected  with  the  office  of  the  newspaper,  and 
who  work  under  the  immediate  direction  of  the 
city  editor, —  are  paid  from  ten  to  even  fifty 
dollars  a  week,  the  latter  salary  being  enjoyed 
by  comparatively  few.  The  first-class  staff  re- 
porter, however,  if  upon  a  great  newspaper,  will 
draw  a  salary  of  about  twenty-five  dollars  a  week. 


THE  REPORTER  73 

% 

Most  newspapers  employ  what  are  known  as 
"  cub  "  reporters,  many  of  whom  are  recent  grad- 
uates of  college.  A  proportion,  and,  perhaps,  a 
large  one,  of  these  men,  do  not  make  good,  and 
leave  the  newspaper  business  eventually.  They 
are  paid  from  ten  to  twelve  dollars  a  week,  at  the 
start,  and  are  promoted  if  they  deserve  it. 

In  addition  to  salaries  paid  to  the  reporter, 
he  is  allowed  an  expense  account,  so  that  he  will 
go  to  no  personal  expense  when  working  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  office. 

The  reporter,  however,  lunches  and  dines  at  his 
own  expense,  and  pays  his  own  car-fare  from 
home  to  office,  the  newspaper  reimbursing  him  for 
traveling  expenses  while  on  duty,  and  for  board 
and  lodging  if  he  is  unable  to  return  to  his  home, 
and  allowing  for  his  meals  if  he  is  obliged  to  eat 
some  distance  from  the  office. 

The  suburban  reporter  is  allowed  traveling  ex- 
penses when  away  from  his  home  town. 

Nearly  all  of  the  large  newspapers  employ 
what  are  known  as  space-writers, —  reporters 
who  work  by  the  column  and  are  paid  from  four 
to  even  ten  dollars  per  column  for  what  is  printed, 


74     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

five  dollars  being  the  average  price  per  column. 
The  space-writer  is  not  paid  for  what  he  writes, 
except  occasionally,  but  only  for  what  is  printed 
of  what  he  writes.  For  example :  if  he  turns  in 
copy  sufficient  for  a  column,  and  the  editor  con- 
denses it  into  half  a  column,  he  is  paid  for  half 
a  column  and  not  for  the  column  he  has  written, 
unless  he  is  working  under  special  arrangement. 
These  space-reporters  may  receive  assignments 
from  the  city  editor,  or  they  may  work  at  large, 
turning  into  the  newspaper  what  they  think 
would  be  acceptable  to  it.  Some  of  them  devote 
their  time  exclusively  to  one  paper,  while  others 
produce  matter  to  be  sold  to  the  syndicates,  and 
many  of  them  are  literary  writers. 

Provincial  or  small  city  newspapers  employ 
from  two  to  even  a  dozen  reporters,  most  of  whom 
are  on  salaries,  and  receive  from  ten  to  twenty- 
five  dollars  a  week,  the  average  pay  being  about 
twelve  dollars ;  and  these  papers  also  use  the  work 
of  space-writers. 

The  work  of  all  of  these  reporters  is  similar  to 
that  of  those  on  the  large  city  dailies. 

Suburban  or  district  reporters  for  a  metropoli- 


THE  REPORTER  75 

tan  newspaper  are  paid  from  ten  to  forty  dollars 
a  week,  but  the  average  salary  probably  does  not 
exceed  twenty  or  twenty-five  dollars. 

This  class  of  reporters,  on  the  smaller  dailies, 
receives  as  little  as  five  dollars  a  week,  and  prob- 
ably seldom  more  than  fifteen  dollars,  unless  they 
cover  a  very  large  territory. 

Small  daily  newspapers  pay  space-writers  from 
three  to  five  dollars  per  column. 

Not  more  than  a  half  of  the  country  news- 
papers, which  are  usually  published  weekly,  main- 
tain a  paid  reportorial  staff.  A  large  part  of  the 
news  is  sent  in,  or  collected  by  the  editor  himself. 
These  papers,  however,  may  receive  news  from 
as  many  as  a  dozen,  or  even  fifty,  country  corre- 
spondents, many  of  whom  are  teachers  or  clerks, 
and  who  give  but  a  small  part  of  their  time  to 
reporting.  They  receive  from  two  to  three  or 
even  five  dollars  a  week,  but  many  of  them  work 
for  "  glory." 

The  first-class  country  newspaper,  however, 
usually  employs  one  salaried  reporter,  who  acts 
as  assistant  editor,  and  who  is  paid  from  ten  to 
even  twenty  dollars  a  week. 


76      THE  HANDBOOK  OP  JOURNALISM 

Reporters  confine  their  labors  almost  ex- 
clusively to  the  collecting  and  writing  of  news, 
and  occasionally  to  the  preparation  of  special 
articles,  and  are  not  allowed  to  use  the  editorial 
"  we,"  unless  they  are  connected  with  a  country 
newspaper. 

Nothing  contributes  more  to  editorial  or  lit- 
erary proficiency  than  does  reportorial  experi- 
ence. The  reporter,  more  than  any  other  class 
of  writer,  gets  close  to  men  and  things.  His  pro- 
fession allows  him  to  have  the  most  intimate  rela- 
tions with  both  joy  and  sorrow,  with  the  action 
of  both  business  and  the  professions,  and  with 
everything  which  is  a  part  of  human  life.  He  is 
always  on  the  firing  line,  or  is  seated  at  the  top 
of  the  observation  tower.  Nothing  may  occur 
outside  of  the  line  of  his  vision.  He  visits  the 
sorrowful  widow  one  day,  the  would-be  suicide 
another,  talks  with  the  captain  of  industry,  the 
clerk,  the  labor  leader,  and  the  workman.  He  is 
in  court  to-day,  and  at  a  wedding  to-morrow. 
The  lights  and  shadows  of  life  pass  before  him 
in  moving  pictures,  which  seem  to  have  no  begin- 
ning and  which  never  cease  their  rolling.  The 


THE  REPORTER  77 

reporter  may  exclaim,  more  truly  than  can  any 
other  man,  "  The  world  is  mine ! " 

The  discipline  of  the  newspaper  office,  however 
hard  it  may  be,  teaches  concentration  of  both 
eye  and  brain. 

Practically  all  of  our  leading  editorial  writers 
and  editors-in-chief  graduated  from  that  great 
educational  institution  of  learning, —  the  repor- 
torial  school. 

While  a  few  editors  have  gained  distinction 
without  reportorial  experience,  the  majority  of 
them  have  marched  in  the  ranks  and  have  success- 
fully carried  the  gun  of  journalism  before  they 
were  permitted  to  wield  the  pen  which  is  mightier 
than  the  sword. 

I  would  most  emphatically  advise  every  would-be 
journalist  to  enter  the  newspaper  house  through 
the  reportorial  door.  In  no  other  way  can  he  ob- 
tain the  fundamental  experience  so  necessary  to 
journalistic  success.  Without  this  experience,  he 
may  succeed.  With  it,  his  success  will  be  more 
marked. 

Further,  I  would  suggest  that  an  apprentice- 
ship on  a  country  newspaper  be  enjoyed  by  the 


78      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

embryo  journalist,  for  the  great  city  newspaper 
cannot,  at  the  start,  give  its  attaches  the  inti- 
mate contact  with  conditions  which  is  necessarily 
a  part  of  the  everyday  life  of  every  country  news- 
paper man. 

The  country  editor  or  reporter  finds  himself  in 
close  touch,  not  only  with  outside  conditions,  but 
with  every  department  of  his  paper.  His  desk 
is  near  the  composing  room,  and  he  writes  within 
the  sound  of  the  clatter  of  the  press.  He  is 
nearer  to  conditions  than  would  ever  be  possible 
in  the  great  newspaper  office,  which  is  one 
huge  journalistic  machine,  divided  into  depart- 
ments, few  of  which  are  closely  allied  to  the 
others. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  the  majority  of  report- 
ers enter  journalism  with  no  particular  desire  for 
the  work,  and  take  it  up  for  no  well-defined  rea- 
son. They  seem  to  be  somewhat  fascinated  with 
it,  and  go  into  it  blindly.  Many  of  them  fail, 
and  a  few  of  those  wko  remain  are  promoted,  or 
else  become  dissatisfied  or  disgruntled  men,  who 
work  automatically,  and  who  earn  hardly  enough 
to  live  respectably.  This  condition,  however,  pre- 


THE  REPORTER  79 

vails  in  every  business,  and  no  one  should  refuse 
to  enter  journalism  on  that  account. 

What  makes  the  good  reporter;  that  is  to  say, 
what  kind  of  a  man  is  likely  to  succeed  in  this 
profession?  It  is  difficult  to  diagnose  indica- 
tions of  reportorial  proficiency,  or  to  present  an 
intelligent  psychological  study  of  the  composition 
of  the  brain  which  is  more  likely  to  succeed  than 
to  fail  in  the  gathering  of  news. 

In  this  calling,  perhaps  more  than  in  any  other, 
it  is  obvious  that  no  one  could  hope  to  make  good 
unless  he  first  of  all  loves  it  more  than  anything 
else.  If  he  has  not  an  active  mind,  which  will 
manifest  itself  in  an  active  pen,  if  he  cannot  ac- 
ceptably write  upon  paper  what  he  sees,  if  he 
has  no  imagination,  if  he  is  purely  automatic  in 
his  work,  if  he  has  no  ambition  and  would  as  lief 
take  up  one  thing  as  another,  he  had  better  shun 
journalism  as  he  would  the  plague. 

While  an  intense  and  natural  love  of  journal- 
ism is  essential  for  the  flush  of  success  in  it,  there 
must  be  something  more  than  the  mere  desire. 
The  would-be  reporter  must  have,  at  least,  some 
reason  to  believe  that  he  is  competent,  or  will 


80     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

become  so,  to  meet  newspaper  conditions.  If  he 
is  not  naturally  a  ready  writer,  and  finds  he  can- 
not, after  practicing,  intelligently,  correctly,  and 
concisely  place  both  facts  and  impressions  upon 
paper,  he  cannot  hope  to  become  a  good  news- 
paper man.  Further,  the  good  reporter,  even 
though  he  may  eventually  become  an  editor,  must 
have  what  is  known,  in  newspaper  vernacular,  as 
"  a  nose  for  news."  He  must  not  only  be  able 
to  handle  what  is  before  him,  but  he  must  have 
that  peculiar  natural  ability  to  find  it  by  assum- 
ing that  it  exists.  He  must  be  diplomatic,  be- 
cause he  will  meet  all  sorts  and  conditions  of 
people.  He  must  be  able  to  discriminate  between 
what  is  good  news  and  what  is  of  no  importance. 
He  must,  in  advance,  be  competent  to  know  what 
a  particular  piece  of  news  is  worth  to  his  news- 
paper, and  then  be  able  to  write  out,  not  neces- 
sarily what  he  wants  to  say,  but  what  the 
newspaper  considers  sufficiently  pertinent  for 
publication.  He  must  be  able  to  size  up  a  situa- 
tion often  almost  instantaneously.  Further,  he 
should  be  a  good  judge  of  human  nature,  and 
be  able,  by  contact  with  men,  to  discriminate  be- 


THE  REPORTER  81 

tween  the  truth  and  its  opposite.  He  must  learn 
how  to  believe  and  disbelieve  what  is  told  him,  to 
separate  the  grains  of  news  from  the  dust.  He 
must  have  the  faculty  to  keep  his  finger  upon  the 
public  pulse,  and  to  discern  the  pulsations  of 
the  wants  of  the  people. 

If  he  does  not  possess  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  these 
requisites,  he  would  fail  as  a  reporter,  and  would 
be  unfit  to  enter  any  other  department  of  active 
journalism. 

Let  not  the  would-be  reporter  or  newspaper 
man  deceive  himself  into  believing  that  his  aca- 
demic education,  even  if  it  be  collegiate,  will,  in 
itself,  make  him  either  a  good  reporter  or  jour- 
nalistic writer.  While  book  or  schoolroom  learn- 
ing counts  mightily,  and  while  a  common  school 
education  is  necessary,  all  of  the  book  knowledge 
in  the  world  will  be  worthless  in  newspaper  work 
if  its  possessor  does  not  know  how  to  apply  it. 
In  no  other  calling  is  the  application  of  learning 
more  essential. 

Thousands  of  our  leading  journalists  did  not 
enjoy  a  college  education,  and  yet  many  of  them 
would  have  probably  been  better  writers  and 


82     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

newspaper  men  if  they  had  graduated  from  a 
high  institution  of  learning;  but  the  college  in 
itself  does  not  fit  one  for  newspaper  work,  nor 
does  it  unfit  him  to  follow  this  vocation.  It  will 
benefit  him,  if  he  uses  it  as  he  should,  as  it  would 
assist  him  in  any  other  department  of  work;  but 
the  man,  more  than  his  education,  harvests  suc- 
cess in  the  newspaper  field. 

Do  not,  however,  belittle  the  importance  of  an 
academic  education.  Without  a  certain  amount 
of  it,  one  would  be  handicapped  all  along  the 
journalistic  line. 

My  advice  to  the  would-be  reporter  is, —  if  I 
may  condense  it  into  a  few  words, —  enter  jour- 
nalism if  your  desire  is  natural,  and  you  have 
reason  to  believe,  by  preliminary  experience,  that 
you  can  succeed  at  it.  But  you  should  not  take 
up  this  calling  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  until 
you  have  thoroughly  investigated  it,  by  contact 
with  newspaper  men  of  standing,  who  will  tell 
you,  if  you  ask  them,  what  you  must  expect,  and 
what  you  should  be  and  must  do,  if  you  would 
make  good  as  a  newspaper  writer. 

If  the  investigation  discourages  you  sufficiently 


THE  REPORTER  83 

to  produce  a  reasonable  doubt  in  your  mind,  con- 
sider some  other  calling,  which  does  not  require 
that  special  ability  which  is  absolutely  essential 
for  success  in  journalism. 

This  subject  has  been  further  treated  in  the 
chapter  entitled  "  A  Nose  for  News,"  and  in 
other  chapters. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A  "  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  95 

INELEGANT  though  the  expression,  a  "  nose 
for  news,"  may  be,  it  is  certainly  comprehen- 
sive and  self-explanatory,  and  has  become  a 
classic  of  journalistic  slang.  Some  men  have  it, 
and  some  do  not.  It  is  usually  born  in  or  on  a 
man,  and  it  can  be  acquired  to  some  extent ;  but 
many  may  not  hope  to  become  proficient  in  news- 
gathering,  even  though  they  struggle  at  it  con- 
scientiously and  for  a  lifetime. 

The  very  air  is  filled  with  news.  It  is  on  every 
corner  waiting  for  the  news-gatherer.  It  is 
closeted  in  every  residence,  and  every  business 
block  is  filled  with  it.  News  does  not  have  to  be 
created ;  it  is  there.  It  has  to  be  gathered. 

Allow  me  to  relate  an  experience :  Many  years 
ago,  when  I  was  conducting  a  daily  newspaper, 

my  head  news-gatherer  attempted  to  break  in  a 
84 


A  "  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  "  85 

"  cub  "  reporter.  He  sent  the  young  fellow  out 
onto  the  street  and  told  him  to  pick  up  what  he 
could  find.  The  "  cub  "  reporter  returned,  dis- 
couraged and  disconsolate,  and  without  a  single 
item,  good,  bad,  or  otherwise.  He  had  hung 
around  corners  and  visited  stores,  he  had  waylaid 
policemen  and  had  attempted  to  interview  pro- 
fessional men.  He  was  conscientious  and  earnest, 
and  had  done  his  utmost  to  accomplish  some  re- 
sult. 

The  head  reporter  questioned  him. 

"  How  did  you  start  in,  my  boy  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Oh,"  replied  the  "cub"  reporter,  "I  went 
up  to  a  man  and  asked  him  if  there  was  any  news 
to-day." 

"  And  he  said  '  No! '  "  interjected  the  head  re- 
porter. 

"  How  did  you  know  it  ?  "  inquired  the  "  cut." 

"  Why,"  answered  the  head  reporter,  "  every- 
body says  he  hasn't  any  news,  whether  he  has  any 
or  not." 

«  Oh!  "  ejaculated  the  «  cub." 

"  Come  with  me,"  said  the  head  reporter ;  and 
they  went  out  arm  in  arm. 


86     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

"  We  will  tackle  that  fellow  over  there,"  said 
the  head  reporter. 

He  addressed  him  with  a  hearty  "  Good-morn- 
ing." 

"  Did  you  leave  Greenfield  this  morning?  "  in- 
guired  the  head  reporter  politely. 

"Yep,"  replied  the  farmer. 

"  What  kind  of  a  corn  crop  are  you  going  to 
have?" 

"  Looks  as  so  it  was  goin*  ter  beat  the  record," 
answered  the  farmer  heartily. 

"  All  of  you  fellers  up  there  are  planting  corn, 
ain't  yer?  "  inquired  the  head  reporter. 

"  Purty  much  all,"  answered  the  farmer. 

"  About  how  many  acres  of  corn  have  you  ?  " 

"  Something  like  a  dozen,"  answere'd  the  farmer 
proudly. 

"  Well,"  said  the  head  reporter,  "  with  your  ten 
or  twelve  acres  how  many  acres  in  Greenfield  are 
planted  with  corn?  " 

"  I  reckon  'bout  seventy-five  or  so,"  replied  the 
farmer. 

"  Everybody  been  well  up  around  your  place] 
this  spring?  " 


A  "  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  "  87 

"  Purt y  much  so,"  answered  the  farmer 
thoughtfully,  "  'cept  Uncle  Bill,  the  chairman  of 
our  selectmen,  is  jest  gittin'  over  pleurisy,  and 
Jim  Jones  got  six  hosses  down  with  the 
epizudy." 

Bidding  the  farmer  a  cordial  good-morning, 
the  head  reporter  drew  the  "  cub  "  away. 

"  Now,  my  dear  boy,"  he  said,  "  that  fellow 
would  have  answered  *  No  '  if  you  had  asked  him 
if  he  had  any  news,  yet  he  has  given  us  four  first- 
class  items.  Let's  tackle  somebody  else." 

The  reporter  hailed  the  postmaster  with  a 
hearty  "  Good-morning,  Mr.  Smith.  How's  busi- 
ness? " 

"  Same  as  usual,"  answered  the  postmaster. 

"  Of  course,  I  know  you  feU'ows  don't  have  a 
clearance  sale,"  said  the  head  reporter,  "  but 
hasn't  that  new  mail-order  concern  increased  your 
receipts  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  postmaster,  "  last  month 
we  received  from  them,  and  delivered  to  them,  over 
seven  thousand  letters." 

The  head  reporter  nudged  the  "  cub  "  repor- 
ter. 


88  THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

"  Let's  drop  into  the  drug  store  and  get  a 
glass  of  soda,"  suggested  the  head  reporter. 

While  the  soap-suds  and  syrup  were  being 
drunk,  the  head  reporter  entered  into  a  conver- 
sation with  the  soda-water  dispenser,  and  before 
he  had  drained  his  glass,  he  had  eight  items  about 
folks  who  were  sick,  three  of  whom  were  prominent 
men,  two  of  them  well-known  women,  and  three 
children  belonging  to  the  first  families ;  and  yet 
the  drug  clerk  did  not  know  that  he  had  news  upon 
his  person. 

"  Ah,  good-morning,  Doctor ! "  exclaimed  the 
head  reporter,  as  a  prominent  physician  ap- 
proached him.  "  How  are  things  going  at  the 
new  House  of  Mercy  ?  " 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  the  ^doctor,  with  emphasis, 
"  we  have  just  received  a  bequest  from  the  Widow 
Jones  of  twenty-four  thousand  dollars,  which  is 
going  to  be  used  for  the  new  tuberculosis  wing." 

"  Let's  call  on  Lawyer  Brief,"  suggested  the 
head  reporter.  The  Hon.  Mr.  Brief  was  a  poli- 
tician and  had  held  several  offices.  In  the  course 
of  conversation  he  gave  the  reporter  more  than 
a  dozen  first-class  items  of  news  concerning  local 


A  "  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  "  89 

candidates  and  politicians,  including  many  prob- 
abilities or  possibilities. 

The  head  reporter  approached  several  others, 
and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  he  had  obtained  over 
thirty  items  of  news,  twenty  of  which  were  of 
some  importance,  and  all  of  them  were  worth 
printing. 

I  had  in  my  employ,  several  years  ago,  a  man 
who  obtained  double  the  number  of  good  news 
items  that  were,  brought  in  by  any  two,  or  even 
three,  average  reporters,  simply  because  he  was  a 
collector  of  news  and  knew  how  to  approach  peo- 
ple. 

Of  course,  when  the  reporter  is  assigned  to 
attend  a  convention  or  other  function,  he  cannot 
easily  avoid  obtaining  the  necessary  news,  but  un- 
less he  has  what  is  known  as  a  "  nose  for  news  " 
he  would  fail  to  collect  ninety  per  cent  of  what 
is  floating  in  the  air  about  him. 

News  does  not  come,  as  a  rule,  but  it  has  to 
be  obtained, —  sought  for,  dug  for,  and  worked 
for. 

Ninety  per  cent  of  the  men  and  women  who 
ostentatiously  claim  to  have  no  respect  for  local 


90     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

items,  and  who  may  take  pride  in  openly  despis- 
ing the  newspaper,  take  that  stand  wholly  for 
effect ;  when,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  they  are  habit- 
ual readers  of  even  unimportant  items,  and  pur- 
chase several  copies  of  every  paper  mentioning 
their  name  or  what  they  have  done. 

I  recall  another  instance  when  I  was  a  "  cub  " 
reporter  for  a  city  newspaper.  I  was  librarian 
of  a  suburban  Sunday-School.  The  church 
building  was  destroyed  by  fire,  but  the  insurance 
was  sufficient  for  rebuilding.  The  building  com- 
mittee had  for  its  chairman  a  full-blooded,  strong, 
and  sturdy  business  man,  who  appeared  to  be 
devoid  of  sentiment,  and  who  seemed  only  to  enjoy 
playing  the  game  of  business.  I  was  an  ambi- 
tious young  librarian,  and  took  much  pride  in 
my  work.  I  desired  to  have  the  shelves  enclosed 
with  glass  doors.  I  approached  the  chair- 
man. 

"  Ther  hain't  goin*  ter  be  no  frills,"  he  replied, 
"  I  am  goin'  ter  have  a  tough  j  ob  rebuildin5  the 
church  with  insurance  money,  and  nothings  goin' 
inter  it  thet  we  don't  need." 

I  was   discouraged,   and  naturally  unbosomed 


A  «  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  "  91 

myself  to  my  city  editor,  who  was  a  kind-hearted 
fellow,  and  who  took  a  fancy  to  me. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,"  he  said.  "  Write 
up  old  Meggs.  I  know  him,  and  although  he's 
always  kicking  against  the  newspapers,  a  compli- 
mentary item  will  please  him." 

I  wrote  him  up,  and  said,  among  other  things, 
that  no  one  but  William  R.  Meggs,  Esq.  could  re- 
build the  church  with  the  limited  insurance 
money.  I  informed  the  readers  that  he  was  the 
strongest  man  on  the  committee,  and  that  the 
congregation  owed  him  a  great  deal  of  gratitude 
for  the  work  he  was  doing. 

Among  my  other  duties  was  that  of  ushering, 
and  it  was  necessary  for  me  to  arrive  early  at 
the  building  which  was  used  as  a  temporary 
church.  Old  Meggs  was  there  before  me.  Shak- 
ing his  fist  in  my  face,  he  exclaimed, 

"  Did  yer  write  that  item  in  the  <  Tribune '?  " 

I  replied  meekly,  "  Yes." 

Again  shaking  his  fist  in  my  face  he  burst  out 
with,  "  If  I  catch  you  doin'  it  'gin,  I'll  cowhide 
yer ! " 

Silent  and  trembling  I  withdrew,  and  the  next 


92     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

day  related  the  instance  to  my  city  editor,  and 
incidentally  remarked  that  all  hope  for  getting 
glass  doors  had  disappeared. 

"Well,  my  boy,"  said  the  editor,  "if  you'll 
do  as  I  say,  I'll  get  you  those  glass  doors." 

"  It  can't  be  done,"  I  replied  soberly. 

"  Believe  me,"  he  said,  "  and  do  as  I  say." 

"What  shall  I  do?"  I  inquired  feebly. 

"  Write  up   Old  Meggs  again." 

"  Write  him  up !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  He  guar- 
anteed to  lick  me  if  I  ever  said  anything  about 
him  again  in  the  '  Tribune.' ': 

"  Rats ! "  exclaimed  the  city  editor. 

He  thought  for  a  moment,  and  then  resumed, 
"  Guess  I'll  have  to  write  the  item  myself,  because 
you  don't  seem  to  know  how  to  lay  it  on  thick 
enough." 

He  composed  an  item,  and  handed  me  the  copy 
of  it.  The  complimentary  remarks  I  had  made 
about  Old  Meggs  paled  before  his  flowery  lan- 
guage and  superlative  expressions. 

"  Now,  so  that  you  can  say  you  wrote  it,"  he 
said,  "  you  just  rewrite  it  in  your  own  way,  but 
don't  eliminate  any  of  the  adjectives." 


A  "  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  "  93 

After  a  while  he  persuaded  me  to  do  so. 

With  fear  and  trembling  I  entered  the  church 
on  the  following  Sunday.  Old  Meggs  was  there, 
as  usual.  He  held  a  copy  of  the  "  Tribune  "  in 
his  hand. 

66  Did  you  write  that  stuff!"  he  ejaculated. 

Following  instructions,  I  said,  "  Yes,"  and  got 
ready  to  dodge.  Instead  of  hitting  me,  a  smile 
played  on  his  face.  Reaching  out  his  hand  he 
gave  mine  a  hearty  shake. 

"  Well,"  he  replied,  "  I  suppose  you  fellers 
have  got  ter  do  it,  an'  we  chaps  have  got  ter  stan* 
it.  I've  been  thinkin'  'bout  them  glass  winders, 
and  I've  seen  the  builder,  and  he  said  he  guessed 
he  could  get  'em  in  some  way." 

Another  incident:  A  friend  of  mine,  who,  at 
the  time,  was  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  a  high- 
class  local  newspaper,  refused  to  carry  the  amount 
of  local  news,  or  what  he  considered  unimportant 
news  items,  against  the  advice  of  his  subordinates. 

Over  the  coffee-cups  we  discussed  the  matter, 
and  I  sided  with  his  editors,  assuring  him  that  I 
thought  he  was  pursuing  the  wrong  policy. 

After  much  deep  thought,  he  replied,  "  I'm  be- 


94     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

ginning  to  think  you're  right,  and  I'll  tell  you 
why.  My  wife  and  I  spent  last  Sunday  at  the 
home  of  a  relative  located  in  a  country  town. 
Somebody  told  us  that  the  village  paper  had  an 
item  about  us  in  it.  My  wife  and  I  spent  thirty 
minutes  hunting  for  it,  and,  honestly,  my  dear 
fellow,  we  were  disappointed  at  not  finding  it." 

It  has  been  said,  and  with  some  degree  of  truth, 
that  the  person  does  not  live  who  does  not  like 
to  see  himself  in  print,  if  what  is  said  about  him 
is  complimentary,  notwithstanding  that  many  peo- 
ple show  apparent  disgust  at  unimportant  items. 

Of  course,  the  great  city  newspaper  cannot 
refer  to  many  things  which  would  be  of  interest 
to  the  readers  of  smaller  papers,  but  during  the 
last  few  years  many  of  the  great  city  dailies 
have  introduced  departments,  under  headings 
like,  "  Table  Talk,"  "  The  Observer,"  "  Men  and 
Things,"  etc.,  which  contain  items  which  are  not 
far  removed  in  character  from  the  local  news 
appearing  in  the  country  newspaper. 

Therefore,  I  say  to  you,  if  you  are  considering 
a  journalistic  career,  and  do  not  have  a  "  nose 
for  news,"  and  cannot  grow  one  after  persistent 


A  "  NOSE  FOR  NEWS  "  95 

effort,  that  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  reconsider 
your  decision  to  enter  the  newspaper  business, 
and  take  up  some  other  calling. 

While  the  editor  himself  may  not  have  to  prac- 
tice "  nosing  for  news,"  the  chances  are  that  his 
present  proficiency  and  ability  to  write  upon  the 
current  events  of  the  day  are  due,  in  large  meas- 
ure, to  the  experience  he  obtained  by  gathering 
news  as  a  reporter. 

I  would  most  emphatically  advise  the  would-be 
journalist,  whose  ambition  it  is  eventually  to  oc- 
cupy the  editorial  chair,  to  obtain  experience  in 
the  reportorial  ranks,  and  to  remain  several  years 
as  a  reporter,  before  attempting  to  occupy  an- 
other journalistic  position. 

The  editor  or  reporter,  who  depends  upon  what 
comes  to  him,  is  going  to  be  out  of  material  and 
out  of  a  job. 

The  efficient  journalist  goes  after  things,  not 
necessarily  as  a  reporter,  but  he  is  on  the  alert. 
He  is  not  merely  a  storehouse,  with  many  en- 
trances and  few  exits ;  he  collects  that  he  may 
distribute,  and  he  knows  how  to  get  at  things  as 
well  as  to  use  what  he  obtains. 


96     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

While  the  average  literary  writer  would  not 
make  a  good  journalist,  and  would  hardly  succeed 
as  a  reporter,  the  first-class  newspaper  man,  with 
reportorial  experience,  may  graduate  into  litera- 
ture. Many  of  our  best  literary  writers  have 
served  apprenticeship  as  reporters,  and  have  oc- 
cupied editorial  chairs. 

It  may  be  said,  subject  to  exceptions,  that  the 
man  who  does  not  possess  the  faculty  of  obtain- 
ing news  will  not  be  prolific  in  gathering  material 
for  any  literary  plot  or  action,  which  would  be 
likely  to  interest  the  readers  of  story. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE  SPACE-WRITER 

THE  great  daily  newspaper,  and  practically 
all  newspapers,  with  the   exception   of  the 
majority  of  the  weekly  papers,  employ,  or  accept 
the  work  of,  what  is  known  in  the  craft  as  "  space- 
or  piece-writers." 

The  space-writer,  or  the  man-on-space,  as  he 
may  be  called  in  the  vernacular  of  the  sanctum, 
does  not  receive  a  regular  salary  for  his  services, 
but  is  paid  for  what  he  writes,  or  rather  for 
what  is  accepted  and  published  of  what  he  pro- 
duces, the  price  being  based  on  the  scale  of  a 
column,  which,  in  the  average  newspaper,  meas- 
ures about  two  inches  in  width  by  from  twenty  to 
twenty-one  and  a  half  inches  in  length.  A 
twenty-inch  column  contains  about  two  hundred 
and  forty  lines  of  type,  Six  Point  size,  set  solid 
(that  is,  without  spaces  between  the  lines),  and 
97 


98     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

each  column  will  average  about  seventeen  hundred 
words. 

The  space-writer  may  not  be  paid  for  the  space 
occupied  by  the  headings. 

There  is  no  standard  price  for  space-writing, 
but  comparatively  few  newspapers  pay  more  than 
Jive  dollars  per  column,  and  from  that  up  to  even 
twenty-five  dollars  a  column  for  matter  of  impor- 
tance ;  but  ten  dollars  per  column  may  be  consid- 
ered about  all  one  is  likely  to  receive  for  the  work, 
unless  it  is  of  unusual  importance  or  is  exclu- 
sive. 

Weekly  newspapers  pay  from  two  to  three  dol- 
lars per  column. 

Most  of  the  local  news  appearing  in  the  daily 
newspapers  is  obtained  by  the  regular  staff  re- 
porters, who  are  on  salary,  and  many  of  them 
would  receive  double  the  income  if  they  were  al- 
lowed space  rates  for  what  they  bring  in. 

A  space-writer,  unless  he  be  a  suburban  re- 
porter, devotes  the  larger  part  of  his  time  to  the 
preparation  of  special  articles,  which  may  not  be 
considered  as  pure  and  simple  local  news,  although 
they  may  have  a  local  flavor. 


THE  SPACE-WRITER  99 

The  range  of  subjects  is  large,  including  inter- 
views with  prominent  men  and  women,  and  articles 
descriptive  of  anything  which  would  interest  the 
public,  from  the  history  of  local  bridges  to  an 
account  of  the  first  train  which  entered  the  pioneer 
depot. 

Many  of  these  space-writers  occupy  other  posi- 
tions, and  do  not  depend  wholly  upon  newspaper 
work  for  a  livelihood. 

In  every  large  city  there  is  room  for  space- 
writers,  but  their  income,  unless  they  be  especially 
proficient,  is  likely  to  be  precarious,  for  it  is  ob- 
vious that  the  newspaper  will  purchase  of  them 
only  what  it  cannot  readily  obtain  from  its  regu- 
lar staff  editors  and  reporters. 

Some  reporters,  however,  prefer  space  rates  to 
regular  salaries,  because  they  may  work  when 
and  where  they  please;  and,  if  they  possess  un- 
usual ability,  they  may  obtain  more  money  than 
they  would  be  likely  to  receive  if  they  occupied 
salaried  positions. 

The  space-writer  naturally  comes  in  competi- 
tion with  regular  staff  men,  and  he  must  be  able 
either  to  get  hold  of  news  which  the  regulars  have 


100      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

not  obtained,  or  produce  something  out  of  the 
usual  line  of  reporting  or  writing. 

Some  regular  newspaper  reporters  do  space- 
work  on  the  side. 

I  have  continued  this  subject  in  the  chapter 
entitled  "  The  Writers  of  Special  Articles." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  WRITERS  OF  SPECIAL  ARTICLES 

THE  demand  for  special  articles  upon  every 
pertinent  subject,  and  especially  for  the 
unusual  and  sensational,  is  responsible  for  a  large 
number  of  journalists,  who  devote  the  better  part 
of  their  time  to  the  preparation  of  what  may  not 
be  considered  regular  news,  and  yet  has  local  fla- 
vor, and  is,  or  is  supposed  to  be,  of  interest  to 
the  average  newspaper  reader. 

These  writers  are  usually  men  of  considerable 
education,  many  of  them  being  college  graduates, 
and  most  of  them  possess  distinct  literary  ability. 
Some  of  them  have  made  their  mark  in  literature, 
and  are  the  authors  of  popular  books.  They  may 
or  may  not  have  had  experience  on  a  newspaper, 
but  I  think  the  majority  of  them  have  served  in 
the  ranks.  Their  acquaintance  is  large,  and  they 
keep  themselves  well  informed  about  current 
events.  They  can  write  upon  almost  any  sub- 
101 


102      bTHE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

ject,  and  make  a  specialty  of  obtaining  interviews 
with  prominent  men. 

For  example,  let  us  suppose  that  there  is  much 
public  interest  in  the  spread  or  cure  of  tubercu- 
losis. The  special  writer  interviews  several  lead- 
ing physicians,  and  makes  up  his  article  from 
what  is  told  him,  or  else  presents  what  is  said 
verbatim,  with  more  or  less  introduction. 

A  railroad  may  suffer  from  frequent  disasters, 
and  the  occurrence  of  accidents  may  seem  to  be 
epidemic.  The  special  writer  interviews  railroad 
men  and  others,  familiarizes  himself  with  the  his- 
tory of  railroad  accidents,  and  makes  up  an  ar- 
ticle which  covers  both  the  past  and  the  pres- 
ent. He  interviews  actors  and  actresses,  and 
presents  prominent  features  of  the  modern  dra- 
ma, connecting  them  with  the  history  of  the 
stage. 

The  pure  food  agitation  gives  him  material. 
He  takes  up  the  educational  side  of  life,  and  pre- 
sents expert  opinion  culled  from  the  interviews 
he  has  with  prominent  educators.  Crime  offers  a 
fertile  field. 

Many  of  these  articles  occupy  an  entire  page, 


WRITERS  OF  SPECIAL  ARTICLES      103 

and  are  copiously  illustrated,  usually  from  photo- 
graphs. 

While  these  special  writers  are  paid  by  the 
column  or  page,  the  majority  of  them  receive  more 
for  their  work  than  do  the  regular  space-writers 
of  news.  High  rates  are  often  paid  for  articles 
by  leading  men,  who  are  not  necessarily  writers. 
For  example:  a  new  superintendent  of  schools 
is  engaged.  A  newspaper,  which  will  not  pay  its 
regular  space-writer  more  than  five  dollars  for 
matter  obtained  from  an  interview  with  the  new 
superintendent,  will  give  the  superintendent  from 
twenty-five  to  even  forty  dollars  for  an  article 
over  his  signature. 

A  few  of  these  special  writers  depend  upon  their 
articles  wholly  for  a  livelihood,  but  most  of  them 
occupy  salaried  positions  or  do  regular  literary 
work. 

A  proportion,  and,  perhaps,  a  large  one,  of 
special  articles  is  sold  to  the  syndicates,  and  dis- 
tributed by  these  companies  to  a  dozen,  or  to  even 
several  hundred,  newspapers.  The  syndicate,  as 
a  rule,  will  pay  the  writer  more  than  he  will  re- 
ceive from  any  one  newspaper. 


104      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  special  writer,  then,  may  be  considered  both 
as  a  journalist  and  as  a  literary  man.  If  he  is 
able  to  succeed  as  a  story  writer,  he  can  add  to 
his  income  by  producing  special  articles ;  and  if 
he  is  an  expert  at  special-article  writing1,  he  can 
probably  succeed  along  regular  literary  lines. 


\ 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  ART  DEPARTMENT 

THE  great  daily  newspaper,  and  many  of 
the  smaller  ones,  maintain  what  are  known 
as  art  departments,  which  furnish  them  with  the 
illustrations  that  are  not  supplied  by  the  syndi- 
cate companies. 

Connected  with  this  department  are  one  or  more 
photographers,  who  usually  give  their  entire  time 
to  the  paper.  They  work  in  conjunction  with  the 
reporters,  and  take  photographs  whenever  it 
seems  desirable  to  do  so. 

In  connection  with  this  department  is  a  photo- 
engraving plant,  which  can  produce,  in  less  than 
one  hour,  a  plate  from  a  photograph  suitable  for 
newspaper  use. 

Many  of  the  newspapers  illustrate  all  impor- 
tant events,  including  banquets,  fires,  and  acci- 
dents, and  run  portraits  of  important  or  notorious 

personages. 

105 


106     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  art  department  carries  plates  in  stock, 
shelved  and  indexed  like  books  in  a  library,  to  be 
used  when  occasion  requires. 

Many  of  the  illustrations  appearing  in  the 
newspapers,  however,  are  furnished  by  the  syndi- 
cate companies,  which  distribute  either  stereotype 
plates  or  matrices,  but  all  local  illustrations  must 
be  obtained  by  those  directly  connected  with  the 
newspaper's  art  department. 

The  manager  of  this  department,  and  his  as- 
sistants, are  not  necessarily  journalists.  A  few 
of  them  are  writers.  They  do  the  work  desig- 
nated by  the  editors  and  reporters. 

Besides  the  syndicate  and  the  newspaper  art 
department,  there  is,  in  every  large  city,  a  pho- 
tographer who  makes  a  specialty  of  carrying  pho- 
tographs, principally  of  prominent  personages, 
which  he  copyrights.  These  photographs  may  be 
obtained  at  a  price,  which  includes  the  right  to 
publish  them. 

Reporters  are  usually  instructed  to  obtain  pho- 
tographs of  persons  written  about,  and  pictures 
of  the  scenes  of  their  stories.  If  they  cannot  get 


THE  ART  DEPARTMENT  107 

them,  the  photographer  is  detailed,  or  he  accom- 
panies them  in  the  first  place. 

These  photographers  use  instantaneous  cam- 
eras, and  are  experts  at  focusing.  If  they  were 
not,  it  would  be  impossible  to  obtain  even  fairly 
good  pictures  of  men  and  things,  which  must  be 
taken  by  snapshot. 

The  use  of  illustrations  has  become  epidemic 
with  more  than  half  of  the  metropolitan  newspa- 
pers, and  the  photographer  is  a  necessary  attache. 
With  the  aid  of  quick-acting  plates,  and  the  mod- 
ern efficiency  in  engraving,  pictures  of  nearly 
every  event  may  be  procured  and  published  within 
the  period  of  hardly  an  hour.  Illustrations  of 
thousands  of  burning  buildings  have  appeared  in 
the  newspapers  while  the  firemen  were  endeavoring 
to  extinguish  the  flames. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

NIGHT  WORK 

EDITORS  and  reporters  of  newspapers, 
whether  or  not  morning  editions  are  pub- 
lished, do  at  least  a  part  of  their  work  in  the 
night. 

If  the  paper  has  a  morning  edition,  the  night 
staff  begins  at  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  works  until  midnight  or  even  later.  The 
editor-in-chief,  and  all  of  the  editorial  writers, 
however,  are  not  necessarily  on  duty  after  dark, 
provided  one  or  more  of  the  assistants  remain  in 
the  office  until  an  hour  or  so  before  the  newspaper 
goes  to  press,  that  they  may,  if  necessary,  edi- 
torially comment  upon  an  important  event. 

If  the  newspaper  publishes  only  an  evening  edi- 
tion, and  there  are  one  or  more  morning  papers 
in  the  same  city,  very  little  night  work  is  done  by 
either  its  reporters  or  editors,  as  much  of  the  news 
106 


NIGHT  WORK  109 

can  be  "  borrowed  "  or  taken  from  the  morning 
editions  of  its  contemporaries. 

If  the  newspaper  publishes  both  a  morning  and 
evening  edition,  the  day  and  night  staffs  interlap 
each  other  to  some  extent. 

Newspaper  men  may  not  bf^able  to  keep  regu- 
lar hours,  and  are  dependent  updh'^ews  and  other 
conditions.  They  may  be  dismissed  *  at  eleven 
o'clock  at  night  or  may  have  to  remain  until  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  If,  however,  they  take 
good  care  of  themselves,  eat  their  meals  regu- 
larly, and  establish  consistent  sleeping  hours, 
night  work  will  not  necessarily  injure  them.  In 
fact,  I  know  of  many  strong  and  rugged  men, 
who  are  on  duty  the  greater  part  of  the  night, 
and  yet  are  apparently  as  healthy  and  robust  as 
are  those  who  do  day  work.  Health  is  depend- 
ent upon  regularity.  If  one  works  late  at  night, 
he  must  sleep  late  in  the  morning. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

NEWS-DISTRIBUTING  COMPANIES,  on  ASSOCIATIONS 

SEVERAL  years  ago  there  were  established 
associations  made  up,  owned,  and  controlled 
by  the  newspapers  subscribing  for  their  services. 
These  associations  maintain  offices  in  the  princi- 
pal cities,  and  employ  several  thousand  men,  com- 
paratively few  of  whom  are  on  the  office  staffs. 
Each  association  has  its  head,  who  receives  a  large 
salary,  probably  not  far  from  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year;  and  territorial  or  branch  managers, 
who  are  paid  from  two  to  five  thousand  dollars 
annually. 

Each  office  maintains  a  staff  of  editors,  whose 
duties  are  to  edit  or  revise  the  news  which  is  sent 
in. 

The  association  employs  one  or  several  men  in 
every  large  city,  and  the  rest  of  the  country  is 
divided  into  districts,  one  or  more  men  being  re- 
sponsible for  each  district. 
110 


NEWS-DISTRIBUTING  COMPANIES      111 

The  so-called  "  home "  editors,  and  their  as- 
sistants, give  their  entire  time  to  the  work  of  the 
association;  but  the  majority  of  the  news- 
gatherers  are  reporters  connected  with  local  news- 
papers. These  reporters  send  to  the  nearest 
branch  office,  or  to  the  head  office,  usually  by 
wire,  everything  which  is  supposed  to  be  of  in- 
terest to  the  readers  of  a  section  or  of  the  whole 
of  the  country. 

For  example:  a  news-gatherer  located,  say,  at 
Springfield,  Mass.,  will  telegraph  to  the  associa- 
tion office,  in  Boston,  any  event  occurring  in 
Springfield  or  vicinity,  which  he  thinks  would  in- 
terest the  inhabitants  of  Massachusetts,  or  of 
New  England,  or  of  the  entire  country.  If  the 
news  he  sends  in  is  not  likely  to  be  of  interest  to 
other  than  Massachusetts  readers,  the  Boston  of- 
fice will  not  telegraph  it  to  any  papers  outside 
of  the  state.  If  it  is  of  more  than  state  inter- 
est, it  is  sent,  in  whole  or  in  part,  to  newspapers 
located  outside  of  the  state,  and  even  to  those 
on  the  Pacific  coast. 

The  branch  or  head  office  may  be  considered  a 
hopper,  into  which  is  thrown  the  news  coming 


THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

from  thousands  of  reporters  located  in  as  many 
cities,  towns,  or  districts.  This  office  adapts  the 
news  to  the  newspapers  which  are  members  of  the 
association,  sending  the  news  in  its  entirety  to 
certain  newspapers,  and  half,  or  even  less,  of  it 
to  papers  farther  removed.  The  association  is 
really  a  distributing  institution,  receiving  the 
news  of  the  world,  usually  by  wire,  and  distribu- 
ting it  to  its  members,  giving  each  newspaper  the 
amount  which  it  is  entitled  to. 

Each  newspaper  pays  to  the  association  an 
amount  per  week  based  upon  the  average  num- 
ber of  words  it  receives.  This  service  costs  the 
great  newspaper  a  thousand  or  more  dollars  a 
week,  while  the  smaller  newspaper  may  not  pay 
more  than  forty-five  or  fifty  dollars  for  the  news 
it  receives.  Where  there  is  more  than  one  news- 
paper belonging  to  the  association  in  a  town,  the 
news  is  written  by  the  use  of  carbons,  the  same 
matter  being  sent  to  each  paper. 

The  reporters  connected  with  these  associations 
either  work  upon  salary  or  at  space  rates.  If 
upon  salary,  they  receive  from  two  hundred  to 
even  two  thousand  dollars  a  year;  and  five  dol- 


NEWS-DISTRIBUTING  COMPANIES      113 

lars  or  more  per  column,  if  they  are  space  men. 

Most  of  the  general  and  telegraphic  news  ap- 
pearing in  the  large  newspapers  comes  from  an 
association,  although  the  great  newspaper  fre- 
quently carries  special  telegraphic  news,  which  no 
other  newspaper  receives  until  after  the  news- 
paper paying  for  it  has  published  it. 

By  this  arrangement,  or  system,  the  newspaper 
can  obtain  the  news  of  the  world  at  a  very  much 
lower  cost  than  would  be  possible  if  its  news  was 
collected  or  obtained  by  reporters  or  correspond- 
ents connected  with  it. 

The  managers  of  these  associations,  and  their 
assistants,  are  invariably  journalists  of  wide  ex- 
perience, and  some  of  them  may  have  been  edi- 
torial writers. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

PLATE  MATTER 

PLATE  matter,  or  boiler  plate,  is  the  techni- 
cal term  used  for  all  matter,  including  the 
news,  which  is  not  set  in  the  composing  rooms  of 
the  newspaper  printing  it,  but  is  purchased  by 
the  newspaper  in  the  form  of  stereotypes  from 
companies  which  are  located  in  the  principal 
cities. 

These  concerns  handle  every  class  of  matter,  in- 
cluding telegraphic  news,  general  news,  stories, 
articles  (with  or  without  illustrations),  cooking 
recipes,  humorous  stories  and  sketches,  and  gen- 
eral matter  of  every  kind.  They  employ  editors 
and  a  few  reporters,  but  a  part  of  what  they 
handle  is  taken  from  newspapers  and  from  other 
periodicals. 

The  matter  is  set  on  the  linotype  or  monotype, 

and  is  made  up  into  columns,  which  are  stereo- 
114 


PLATE  MATTER  115 

typed.  The  newspapers  subscribing  to  the  serv- 
ice are  furnished  with  what  are  known  as  "  pat- 
ent blocks,"  which  have  adjustable  bases  for  the 
holding  of  the  stereotype  plates.  These  plates 
are  the  same  as  ordinary  stereotypes,  except  that 
they  are  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  "  T,"  the  de- 
scending part  being  made  of  lead,  which  fits  be- 
tween the  block's  or  bases.  This  arrangement 
materially  reduces  the  cost. 

Some  of  the  matter  is  furnished  in  matrix  form, 
but  the  matrix  cannot  be  used  except  by  news- 
papers carrying  stereotyping  plants,  and  very 
few  of  the  weekly  newspapers  are  equipped  with 
them. 

The  plate-making  company  furnishes  two  kinds 
of  services:  First,  general  or  telegraphic  news 
at  a  specified  price  per  week,  or  by  the  piece. 
The  company  sends  to  the  newspapers  proof 
sheets  of  what  is  in  type,  other  than  telegraphic 
news,  and  the  newspaper  purchases  what  it  wants 
by  the  column  or  page,  usually  by  the  page. 
The  price  is  very  low,  and  seldom  exceeds  a  few 
dollars  a  page,  and  there  is  a  rebate  on  the  re- 
turn of  the  plates. 


116     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

Thousands  of  country  newspapers,  including 
dailies,  subscribe  for  this  service,  at  a  very  heavy 
saving  in  cost  of  composition.  A  third  or  a  half 
of  all  of  the  general  and  telegraphic  news  appear- 
ing in  the  daily  newspapers,  published  outside  of 
the  large  centers,  comes  by  express  and  not  by 
wire.  The  plate-making  company  maintains  a 
news-gathering  and  -handling  force,  and  supplies 
its  subscribing  newspapers  with  stereotyped 
plates  sent  daily  by  fast  express. 

Let  me  present,  for  an  example,  an  evening  pa- 
per published  in  a  city  of,  say,  fifteen  thousand 
population,  and  not  more  than  a  hundred  miles 
from  a  large  city.  The  plate-making  company 
gathers  the  news  occurring  several  hours  later 
than  that  which  appeared  in  the  morning  papers, 
stereotypes  it,  and  delivers  it  to  the  local  news- 
paper in  time  for  its  publication  in  the  same 
afternoon. 

Most  of  these  small  dailies  are  members  of  a 
press  association,  and  receive  telegraphic  news, 
but,  by  the  use  of  this  plate  matter,  they  can 
present  what  occurs  throughout  the  world  at  a 
much  less  expense  than  if  they  received  all  of 


PLATE  MATTER  117 

their  news  by  wire,  and  set  it  in  their  own  of- 
fices. 

The  plate  companies  also  furnish  uncompromis- 
ing and  general  editorials,  which  some  of  the 
papers  use  in  connection  with  home-written  and 
-set  editorial  comment. 

These  plate  companies  handle  syndicate  mat- 
ter, and  furnish  plates  or  matrices  of  it  to  many 
of  the  large  newspapers. 

The  editors  and  reporters  employed  by  the 
plate-making  companies  receive  the  salaries  paid 
on  the  average  daily  newspapers,  but  it  is  not 
necessary  that  they  be  expert  at  editorial  or 
other  work,  except  those  who  write  the  "  plated  " 
editorials. 

These  editors  are  usually  desk  men,  and  have 
little  opportunity  for  the  display  of  originality. 

Connected  with  the  plate-making  company, 
however,  are  one  or  more  thoroughly  trained  and 
seasoned  journalists,  who  are  competent  to  orig- 
inate, and  to  obtain,  special  articles  and  other 
matter  which  the  service  demands. 

These  companies  offer  very  little  opportunity 
for  the  outside  writer,  so  far  as  news-gathering 


118     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

is  concerned ;  but  they  will  pay  fair  prices  for 
special  articles  and  stories  and  for  department 
matter.  Their  work  is  similar  to  that  of  the  reg- 
ular syndicate  companies,  of  which  I  have  spoken 
in  another  chapter,  except  that  they  handle  tele- 
graphic and  other  news,  while  the  so-called 
syndicate  company  confines  its  work  to  the  dis- 
tribution of  stories  and  articles. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  SYNDICATE 

THE  syndicate  publisher  is  a  modern  institu- 
tion.    Until  quite  recently  he  did  not  exist. 
The  syndicate  furnishes  to  newspapers  of  every 
class,  every  grade  and  kind  of  matter,  presum- 
ably acceptable  to  the  common  reader. 

The  syndicate  purchases  an  original  manu- 
script, or  the  matter  may  have  appeared  in  book 
form  or  in  some  magazine.  If  the  latter,  it  ob- 
tains the  privilege  of  selling  it  to  one  or  more 
newspapers.  The  matter  is  set  in  type,  and  a 
number  of  proofs  a^e  taken  of  it.  Most  of  it, 
however,  is  stereotyped,  and  is  sent  out  in  the 
form  of  plates  or  matrices. 

The  syndicate  company  usually  pays  either  a 
lump  sum  for  the  newspaper  rights  of  an  article, 
or  it  may  reimburse  the  author  by  giving  him  a 
percentage  of  the  gross  receipts. 
119 


1£0      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  story  or  article  in  proof  is  submitted  to 
the  newspapers,  but  only  one  paper  in  a  city, 
town,  or  territory  is  allowed  to  subscribe  for  it. 

The  newspaper  pays  a  stated  price  for  ex- 
clusive rights  within  the  field  of  its  circulation, 
this  sum  varying  with  the  size  of  the  newspaper 
and  the  importance  of  its  territory. 

Probably  the  highest  sum  paid  by  any  one 
newspaper  for  a  syndicate  article  or  story  has 
not  exceeded  three  hundred  dollars  per  chapter 
or  article,  but  the  average  price  is  not  more  than 
one  or  two  dollars,  and  occasionally  runs  as  low 
as  fifty  cents.  Even  at  the  lowest  price,  the  syn- 
dicate company  may  realize  quite  an  amount,  be- 
cause, after  the  article  is  set  in  type,  the  expense 
is  limited  to  the  taking  of  proofs  and  postage,  to 
which,  of  course,  must  be  added  the  overhead  cost 
of  running  the  business.  If  it  is  set  in  plates, 
an  extra  charge  is  made. 

Practically  all  of  the  matter  appearing  in  the 
average  newspaper,  other  than  news  and  edi- 
torials, including  the  great  majority  of  the 
special  articles,  except  those  of  local  character, 
come  from  the  syndicate  company. 


THE  SYNDICATE  121 

The  establishment  of  the  syndicate  is  both  ad- 
vantageous and  disastrous  to  the  writer:  advan- 
tageous, because  he  is  likely  to  receive  a  larger 
sum  for  his  work  than  would  be  given  him  by  any 
one  newspaper ;  and  disastrous,  because  it  de- 
creases the  demand  for  literary  productions. 

It  is  obvious  that  no  one  newspaper,  even  if 
very  successful,  will  pay  an  author  a  hundred 
dollars  for  an  article  or  story  when  it  can  pur- 
chase as  acceptable  matter  for  a  few  dollars. 

The  (public,  however,  is  benefited,  because  by 
this  arrangement  it  is  able  to  obtain  in  the  news- 
paper a  higher  grade  of  composition  than  would 
be  likely  to  occur  if  the  newspaper  was  obliged 
to  pay  the  author's  price. 

Country  newspapers  seldom,  if  ever,  pay  the 
author  directly  other  than  for  news.  The  great 
bulk  of  the  matter  in  the  country  newspaper, 
outside  of  the  local  news  and  the  editorials, 
comes  in  the  form  of  stereotypes,  which  are  fur- 
nished to  the  newspaper;  or  a  portion  of  its  con- 
tents is  not  only  set,  but  is  printed  by  an  outside 
company.  Some  of  this  plate  matter,  other  than 
news,  is  copied,  the  author  of  it  receiving  no  re- 


THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

numeration  from  the  plate-making  company,  or 
being  paid  for  his  work  at  very  low  rates. 

Most  of  the  miscellany,  including  cooking 
recipes  and  general  advice,  which  appears  in  the 
country  newspapers,  is  plate  matter,  usually  pre- 
pared or  compiled  by  one  of  the  editors,  or  by 
outsiders  who  work  by  the  column. 

Most  of  the  humorous  articles,  either  wholly 
in  text  or  with  illustrations,  which  are  carried 
by  the  newspapers,  come  through  the  syndicates, 
who  employ  artists  as  well  as  writers.  It  is  said 
that  one  humorous  artist  receives  as  much  as 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars  a  year  for  the  work 
of  his  brush,  combined,  of  course,  with  a  limited 
amount  of  wording. 

The  great  newspaper,  however,  carries  on  its 
regular  staff  one  or  more  cartoonists,  who  in  most 
cases  give  their  entire  time  to  the  newspaper  en- 
gaging them.  These  artists  receive  from  one  to 
ten  thousand  dollars  a  year,  three  thousand  dol- 
lars being  the  average  salary.  Their  local 
sketches  are  used  exclusively  by  the  newspaper 
employing  them,  but  many  of  their  cartoons  and 


THE  SYNDICATE  123 

other  work  are  syndicated  by  the  newspaper,  that 
the  expense  may  be  divided. 

The  syndicate  business,  including  the  handling 
of  stories,  has  grown  to  immense  proportions,  and 
Is  a  trade  by  itself.  It  offers  little  opportunity 
to  regular  reporters,  as  most  of  the  matter  paid 
for  is  either  written  by  regular  staff  editors  or 
by  special-article  writers. 

This  subject  is  discussed  further  in  the  chap- 
ters entitled  "  '  Patent  Insides  '  or  Cooperative 
Newspapers "  and  "  News-Distributing  Compa- 
nies or  Associations." 


CHAPTER  XXX 

66  PATENT-INSIDES  "  OR  COOPERATIVE  NEWS- 
PAPERS 

COMPARATIVELY  few  newspapers  pub- 
lished weekly  in  the  country  towns  are 
wholly  home-set  or  home-printed.  Probably 
seventy-five  per  cent  of  them  use  what  are  called 
"  patent  insides,"  and  are  known  in  the  trade  as 
cooperative  newspapers. 

The  term  "  patent  insides  "  is  a  misnomer,  be- 
cause half  of  the  papers  have  "  patent  outsides," 
and  a  patent  was  never  granted  to  the  scheme. 

The  cooperative,  or  so-called  "  patent  insides," 
newspaper  is  one  which  is  only  partially  printed 
at  the  office  of  publication.  The  outside  pages, 
or  the  inside  pages,  are  set  and  printed  by  the 
cooperative  newspaper  publisher,  and  the  matter 
on  the  blank  pages  is  set  and  printed  by  the  in- 
dividual publisher. 

The  cooperative  pages  contain  one  or  more 
124, 


"  PATENT-INSIDES  "  125 

stories  or  articles,  miscellany,  home  hints  and 
cooking  recipes,  humorous  stories,  and  sometimes 
general  news  of  the  state  or  nation.  Occasion- 
ally noncompromising  and  unpolitical  editorials 
appear. 

This  cooperative  matter  is  intended  to  be  about 
what  the  local  publisher  would  use  if  his  paper 
were  wholly  home-set  and  printed. 

The  cooperative  newspaper  publisher  obtains 
his  profit  usually  from  the  general  advertising, 
which  appears  on  the  pages  he  handles,  because 
the  price  charged  the  local  publisher  is  not  more 
than  sufficient  to  cover  the  cost  of  the  paper,  the 
composition,  and  the  presswork. 

By  this  scheme,  the  newspaper  publisher  is  able 
to  present  his  readers  with  an  acceptable  paper, 
and  at  a  very  much  less  expense  than  would  be 
possible  if  the  whole  of  it  was  home-set  and 
-printed ;  and  thousands  of  local  papers  could  not 
be  published  if  it  was  not  for  this  cooperative 
feature. 

The  public  demands  quantity  as  well  as  qual- 
ity, and  a  paper  to  be  profitable  must  be  of  fair 
size. 


126      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

The  average  country  newspaper  does  not  re- 
ceive sufficient  support  to  allow  it  to  incur  the 
expense  of  entire  home  production. 

The  cooperative  newspaper  publisher  does  not 
always  furnish  high-grade  matter:  first,  be- 
cause the  average  reader  does  not  require  it;  and, 
secondly,  because  the  expense  would  be  prohib- 
itory. 

The  cooperative  newspaper  publishing  concern 
has  offices  in  several  cities,  from  which  editions 
appropriate  to  their  territories  are  published. 
It  maintains  a  small  editorial  staff,  but  does  not 
employ  reporters.  These  editors,  who  receive  sal- 
aries which  are  about  the  same  as  those  of  editors 
in  papers  located  in  cities  of  from  fifty  to  a  hun- 
dred thousand  population,  devote  most  of  their 
time  to  clipping  and  compiling,  for  the  coop- 
erative pages  contain  comparatively  little  orig- 
inal matter  beyond  the  running  of  a  syndicate 
story.  These  editors  have  served  apprentice- 
ship on  daily  newspapers. 

As  the  matter  they  produce  has  a  very  general 
circulation,  none  of  it  must  be  political  or  an- 
tagonistic to  the  average  reader.  It  must  be  un- 


"  PATENT-INSIDES  "  127 

compromising  to  the  extreme.  The  editorials 
are  thoroughly  general  and  adapted  to  every  class 
of  reader,  that  they  may  not  compromise  the 
newspapers  carrying  them. 

The  cooperative  newspaper  publisher  employs 
several  advertising  men  or  solicitors,  who  receive 
salaries  equal  to  those  paid  by  the  daily  news- 
papers. 

This  subject  is  further  covered  in  the  chapter 
entitled  "Plate  Matter." 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

SCHOOLS  OF  JOURNALISM 

THERE  have  beer?  established,  recently,  in- 
stitutions which  claim  to  impart  a  theoret- 
ical or  a  working  knowledge  of  journalism. 
These  schools  are  in  their  infancy,  and  their  ef- 
ficiency has  not  been  thoroughly  tested. 

While  it  is  obvious  that  the  best  newspaper 
school  is  in  the  office  of  the  newspaper  itself,  and 
while  comparatively  few  money-making  or  prac- 
tical arts  can  be  taught  academically,  or  within 
the  walls  of  a  school-room,  it  is  probable  that  a 
good  school  of  journalism,  properly  officered  and 
with  experienced  newspaper  men  as  active  in- 
structors, may  be  of  much  assistance  to  the 
would-be  newspaper  man. 

The  eyes  of  the  newspaper  world  are  turned 
upon  these  institutions,  and  time  will  demonstrate 
their  usefulness,  or  will  prove  them  to  be  fail- 
ures. 


SCHOOLS  OF  JOURNALISM         129 

I  am  not  advising  for  or  against  these  institu- 
tions, because  they  are  all  in  the  experimental 
stage,  and  nobody  at  the  present  time  can 
correctly  diagnose  their  probable  efficiency. 
Whether  they  succeed  or  not,  it  will  be  several 
years  before  they  will  take  the  place  of  actual 
experience  in  newspaper  offices. 

There  have  been  established  several  correspond- 
ence schools  of  journalism,  which  claim  to  be  able 
to  teach  this  calling.  So  long  as  the  efficiency  of 
the  residential  institution  remains  in  doubt,  I 
think  that  I  may  assume  that  journalism  cannot 
be  taught  by  correspondence,  except  in  a  theo- 
retical or  automatic  way. 

I  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible  for  any  corre- 
spondence school  to  pass,  through  the  mail,  ma- 
terial likely  to  be  of  much  benefit  to  the  pupil  in 
journalism.  If  these  schools  depend  upon  mem- 
bership fees  for  their  support,  it  would  seem  to 
me  to  be  obvious  that  they  cannot  succeed  with- 
out a  large  enrollment,  with  a  small  staff  of  in- 
structors. It  would  also  appear  to  me  to  be 
evident  that  a  large  number  of  pupils  cannot 
receive  much  personal  attention  or  working  in- 


ISO      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

formation,  if  the  school  is  to  succeed  financially. 

Before  joining1  any  correspondence  or  other 
school  of  journalism,  I  would  advise  the  reader  to 
obtain  the  announcements  of  all  of  the  schools  of 
journalism,  and  to  show  them,  or  to  send  them, 
to  several  first-class  newspaper  men.  If  the  ma- 
jority of  these  trained  journalists  recommend 
any  school,  the  inquirer  may  seriously  consider 
it ;  but  I  would  not  advise  him  to  follow  the 
advice  of  any  one  journalist,  because  he  may  be 
biased  in  favor  of  the  school  or  be  connected  with 
it.  If,  however,  three  or  four  able  newspaper 
men  speak  well  of  it,  the  inquirer  has  good  rea- 
son to  consider  it  favorably.  If  the  school  is 
doing  good  work,  some  one  outside  of  its  faculty 
knows  about  it,  and  some  of  its  graduates  are 
engaged  in  newspaper  work.  Representative 
editors-in-chief  and  city  editors  are  in  a  position 
to  judge  it  fairly. 

I  believe  that  no  one  can  become  proficient  in 
journalistic  work  until  he  has  come  in  contact 
with  it,  and  I  am  inclined  to  feel  that,  for  the 
present,  at  least,  one  is  not  likely  to  obtain  a 
working  knowledge  of  journalism,  and  certainly 


SCHOOLS  OF  JOURNALISM         131 

not   the   practice   of  it,  unless  he   serves  in  the 
ranks. 

Recently  there  was  established  a  new  school  of 
journalism  by  a  large  endowment,  and  I  hear  that 
this  institution  proposes  to  give  its  pupils  op- 
portunity to  practice.  The  school,  I  understand, 
is  to  be  directly  connected  with  several  large 
newspapers,  and  will  not  be,  therefore,  wholly 
academic.  In  this,  as  in  many  other  things,  I 
repeat  what  I  have  said:  when  in  doubt,  go  slow; 
when  in  much  doubt,  don't. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  SMALL  DAILY  NEWSPAPER 

IN  the  chapter  entitled  "  Country  Newspaper 
Opportunities "  I  have  spoken  at  length  of 
the  personnel  of  the  seventeen  thousand  or  more 
weekly  newspapers  published  in  the  country 
towns  and  villages.  In  this  chapter  I  will  dis- 
cuss the  daily  newspapers  located  outside  of  the 
large  commercial  centers. 

Many  of  these  newspapers  are  conducted  prac- 
tically the  same  as  are  the  great  metropolitan 
dailies,  except  that  they  maintain  fewer  depart- 
ments, or  merge  several  of  them  into  one,  and  em- 
ploy a  lesser  number  of  men  upon  their  staffs. 

Until  quite  recently,  comparatively  few  towns 
in  the  East,  with  populations  of  less  than  fifteen 
thousand,  supported  a  local  daily  newspaper;  but 
at  the  present  time  practically  every  Eastern  cen- 
ter has  one  or  more  dailies ;  and  some  towns,  with 
139 


THE  SMALL  DAILY  NEWSPAPER       133 

not     exceeding    five     thousand    population,    are 
supporting  enterprising  daily   newspapers. 

The  reason  for  the  past  absence  of  daily  news- 
papers in  the  Eastern  towns  was  due  to  three 
conditions :  First,  the  proximity  of  most  of  these 
towns  to  larger  cities,  whose  newspapers  covered 
them.  Secondly,  to  the  conservatism  of  the 
East.  Thirdly,  because  until  somewhat  recently 
the  local  newspaper  had  to  be  largely  hand-set, 
as  there  were  no  facilities  for  obtaining  a  part  of 
the  news  in  the  form  of  plates. 

The  establishment  of  plate-making  news  com- 
panies has  reduced  the  expense  of  publication, 
and  has  enabled  publishers  to  maintain  profitable 
newspapers  at  a  cost  materially  less  than  would 
have  been  possible  a  few  years  ago. 

The  small  daily  newspaper  was  born  in  the- 
West,  many  communities  of  hardly  two  thousand 
population  being  sufficiently  progressive  to  en- 
courage its  publication.  Then,  the  West  is  more 
sparsely  populated,  and  the  inhabitants  of  many 
of  the  towns  are  unable  to  obtain  a  large  city 
daily  until  after  the  news  of  the  day  is  stale. 
Western  merchants  are,  undoubtedly,  more  pro- 


134     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

gressive  than  are  their  Eastern  brothers,  and  are 
more  liberal  advertisers.  Even  the  South,  so  far 
as  journalism  is  concerned,  has  outranked  the 
East,  if  we  take  population  into  consideration. 

There  are  scattered  throughout  the  country, 
and  particularly  in  the  West  and  South,  a  large 
number  of  daily  newspapers,  which  are  a  credit 
to  the  craft,  and  yet  can  live,  and  give  satis- 
factory service,  with  not  more  than  three  or  four 
editors  and  reporters  combined.  These  news- 
papers, however,  have  a  large  corps  of  outside 
correspondents.  They  are  able  to  live  and  to 
make  good,  largely  because  the  local  merchants 
are  progressive  and  liberal  advertisers,  and  be- 
cause the  people  of  the  West  and  South  are  willing 
to  pay  more  for  their  papers  than  are  those  in 
the  East. 

A  daily  newspaper  in  the  West  and  South  is 
frequently  sold  at  three,  four,  or  five  cents  per 
copy,  while  most  of  the  local  small  newspapers  in 
the  East  are  unable  to  obtain  more  than  a  cent 
a  copy. 

The  better  class  of  provincial  newspapers 
maintains  a  telegraphic  service  at  an  expense  of 


THE  SMALL  DAILY  NEWSPAPER      135 

about  a  hundred  dollars  a  week,  although  some  of 
them  may  not  pay  more  than  thirty-five  or  forty 
dollars  a  week  for  the  news  received  from  the 
association. 

Two  good  staff  reporters  can  cover  many  local 
territories,  and  one  or  two  editors,  who  may  or 
may  not  be  proprietors,  are  sufficient  to  do  the 
work  outside  of  the  actual  reporting. 

Many  daily  newspapers,  however,  published  in 
cities  of  fifty  thousand  or  more  population,  are 
conducted  upon  metropolitan  lines ;  but,  of 
course,  they  maintain  smaller  staffs  than  those 
employed  by  the  great  daily  newspapers. 

It  has  been  said  that  if  all  of  the  journalists 
in  America  were  to  cast  their  ballots  for  the  most 
perfectly  balanced,  and  most  thoroughly  jour- 
nalistic newspaper  in  the  country,  the  majority 
of  votes  would  be  given  to  one  published  in  a 
city  of  about  ninety  thousand  population,  and 
located  in  the  East.  This  newspaper,  which  was 
established  when  its  local  community,  including 
its  environs,  hardly  exceeded  fifty  thousand  pop- 
ulation, has  an  international  reputation,  and 
with  few  exceptions  is  quoted  from  more  than  any 


136     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

other  daily  newspaper  in  America.  It  owns  its 
building,  and  is  conducted  upon  high  metropoli- 
tan lines,  with  a  staff  of  writers  exceeding  in 
quality  most  of  those  of  papers  published  in 
cities  of  several  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  is  considered,  by  thoughtful  and  discriminating 
newspaper  men,  as  a  genuine  daily  text-book  on 
journalism. 

It  is  difficult  to  state  the  salaries  paid  to  edi- 
tors and  reporters  working  for  the  smaller  news- 
papers, because  the  majority  of  editors  are  pub- 
lishers or  proprietors,  or  are  financially  interested 
in  their  papers.  Generally  speaking,  the  sal- 
aries paid  by  these  newspapers  are  twenty-five 
or  more  per  cent  less  than  those  of  the  great 
metropolitan  dailies,  taking  the  reporters  and 
editors  as  they  run,  few  of  these  small  dailies 
paying  more  than  three  thousand  dollars  to  any 
one  connected  with  them. 

The  majority  of  these  smaller  newspapers  are 
published  in  the  evening,  as  an  evening  paper 
can  be  produced  at  a  much  less  cost  than  can  one 
issued  in  the  morning. 

The    staff    of    the    so-called    provincial    daily 


THE  SMALL  DAILY  NEWSPAPER       137 

newspaper  consists  of  one  editor,  who  is  usually 
proprietor  or  publisher;  and  an  assistant,  who 
writes  some  of  the  editorials  and  acts  both  as 
general  editor  and  as  city  editor.  Under  him 
are  two  or  three  reporters  and  any  number  of 
outside  correspondents. 

I  am  acquainted  with  several  country  daily 
newspapers,  which  manage  to  exist  and  fairly 
well  to  cover  their  fields,  with  regular  staffs  con- 
sisting of  one  editor  and  one  reporter ;  but,  of 
course,  they  have  a  large  number  of  paid  and 
unpaid  outside  correspondents. 

Those  connected  with  the  smaller  dailies  have, 
as  a  rule,  much  better  opportunity  to  learn  jour- 
nalism than  do  those  on  the  staffs  of  the 
great  metropolitan  newspapers.  They  are  given 
larger  latitude,  and  come  in  closer  touch  with 
men  and  things,  than  do  those  who  are  often  but 
single  wheels  in  the  great  metropolitan  machine. 

Several  of  these  smaller  dailies  are  exceedingly 
profitable.  Many  of  them  own  their  buildings, 
and  maintain  job  printing  plants.  They  have 
to  meet,  of  course,  the  competition  of  the  great 
newspapers,  for  many  of  the  metropolitan  jour- 


138      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

nals  cover  hundreds  of  miles  of  territory;  but, 
as  it  is  obvious  that  the  great  newspaper  cannot 
more  than  indifferently  handle  local  news  outside 
of  its  place  of  publication,  the  progressive  local 
daily  can  obtain  a  constituency  preeminently  its 
own. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

COUNTRY  NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES 

COMPARATIVELY  few  country  newspapers, 
—  newspapers  published  in  country  towns 
or  villages,  and  usually  weekly, —  could  exist,  or 
make  both  ends  meet,  without  the  maintenance  of 
job  printing  departments. 

The  majority  of  country  editors  and  publishers 
are  of  necessity,  if  not  from  choice,  practical 
printers ;  although  many  of  them  do  not  stand 
before  the  case  or  feed  the  printing  press. 

Unless  the  newspaper  is  published  in  a  large 
center,  and,  consequently,  is  able  to  maintain  sev- 
eral departments,  the  publisher  attends  to,  or 
writes,  the  editorials,  and  is  responsible  for 
everything  which  appears  in  his  paper. 

He  may,  further,  act  as  superintendent  or 
foreman,  delegating  this  work,  when  absent  or 
indisposed,  to  one  of  his  compositors  or  pressmen, 

who  may  not  be  called  the  foreman. 
139 


140      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

Thousands  of  country  newspapers,  including 
the  job  offices  accompanying  them,  are  handled 
editorially  and  mechanically  by  the  editor  or  pub- 
lisher himself,  two  or  three  compositors,  and  a 
boy,  known  as  the  printer's  devil,  one  of  the  com- 
positors acting  as  foreman. 

Reporters  are  not  employed,  except  by  the 
larger  weeklies,  the  editor  obtaining  or  writing 
all  of  the  matter  appearing  in  his  paper,  the  ma- 
jority of  which  is  sent  in,  or  comes  from  regular 
or  transient  correspondents,  who  are  paid  only 
a  few  dollars  a  week,  or  work  for  "  glory." 

The  editor  manages  the  business,  and  may  even 
keep  the  books  and  superintend  the  job  printing 
department. 

With  the  aid  of  what  is  known  as  the  "  patent 
inside,"  and  stereotype  plates,  it  is  possible  for 
four  persons  to  edit,  set,  and  publish  a  respect- 
able newspaper,  and,  further,  to  handle  the  job 
printing. 

Country  newspapers,  as  a  rule,  do  not  solicit 
advertising,  the  local  advertising  coming  in  with- 
out pressure,  the  general  advertising  being  re- 
ceived from  the  advertising  agents. 


NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES      141 

There  would  appear  to  be  no  reason,  however, 
why  the  country  publisher  should  not  make 
strenuous  effort  to  obtain  advertising  from,  the 
local  merchants,  and  thereby  increase  his  re- 
ceipts. 

The  country  editor  or  publisher  obtains  his 
income,  or  makes  his  living,  from  three  sources: 
First,  from  the  sale  of  the  paper.  Its  circula- 
tion, however,  unless  it  is  located  in  a  large  cen- 
ter, is  not  likely  to  exceed  a  thousand  copies  per 
issue,  and  many  successful  newspapers  print  not 
more  than  half  that  number.  The  subscription 
price  seldom  exceeds  two  dollars  a  year,  and  is 
usually  a  dollar  paid  in  advance,  or  a  dollar  and 
a  half  if  not  so  paid.  Deducting  the  losses 
which  come  from  unpaid  subscriptions,  it  is  prob- 
able, that  the  circulation  of  the  average  country 
newspaper  does)  not  bring  in  more  than  eight 
hundred  dollars  net  per  year. 

Secondly,  from  the  income  which  comes  from 
the  receipts  of  the  advertising.  Seventy-five  or 
more  per  cent  of  this  advertising  is  that  of  local 
merchants,  the  balance  coming  from  advertising 
agents,  and  being  of  a  general  character.  The 


THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

advertising  receipts  run  from  five  hundred  to 
even  several  thousand  dollars  a  year,  the  average 
not  exceeding  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  although 
there  are  quite  a  number  of  country  newspapers 
receiving  annually  from  three  to  five  thousand 
dollars  from  advertising. 

Thirdly,  from  the  revenue  or  profit  resulting 
from  the  job  printing  department.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  average  this  income,  because  some  country 
printing  offices  are  fortunate  enough  to  obtain 
a  large  amount  of  local  or  town  printing,  and  do 
work  for  concerns  in  other  towns  or  cities. 

Hundreds  of  country  editors  do  not  enjoy  an 
income,  or  profit,  of  more  than  a  thousand  dollars 
a  year,  while  many  of  them  earn  as  much  as  two 
or  three,  or  even  five,  thousand  dollars. 

A  country  newspaper  and  printing  office  can 
be  run  very  economically.  Many  newspapers 
own  their  own  buildings,  or,  if  they  do  not,  they 
can  obtain  the  whole  or  part  of  the  building  at  a 
very  low  rental,  probably  less  by  the  year  than 
the  large  city  business  man  pays  for  a  well-lo- 
cated office. 

The    compositors   work   at   moderate    salaries, 


NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES 

and  women  and  boys  are  frequently  employed,  or 
they  are  paid  so  much  per  thousand  ems,  the  scale 
being  somewhat  less  than  that  maintained  in  the 
cities. 

Job  printing,  however,  with  the  exception  of  the 
setting  of  straight  reading  matter,  is  done  by 
those  on  salaries. 

Many  country  editors  work  at  the  case  and 
press,  and  thereby  reduce  expenses. 

As  most  country  newspapers  are  hand-set,  and 
as  very  few  of  them  use  the  linotype  or  monotype, 
a  sufficient  plant  can  be  had  for  as  little  as  fifteen 
hundred  dollars,  or  from  two  to  three  thousand 
dollars  with  a  fairly  well-equipped  job  printing 
outfit.  A  few  country  newspapers  are  set  on  the 
linotype  or  monotype,  which  cost  several  thou- 
sand dollars,  and  a  typesetting  machine  is  some- 
times used.  Many  of  these  typesetters  are  sold 
on  installments,  and  their  use  is  rapidly  increas- 
ing. 

The  majority  of  country  editors  are  graduates 
of  the  common  schools,  although  some  of  them 
have  passed  through  college.  To  succeed,  they 
must  have  a  fair  English  education,  and  some 


THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

knowledge  of  business.  Their  profit  depends 
upon  economy,  as  well  as  upon  progressiveness  or 
enterprise. 

Very  few  country  editors  and  printers  fail, 
unless  they  are  located  in  very  small  towns,  or 
suffer  from  severe  competition,  or  are  extrava- 
gant and  attempt  to  produce  a  better  paper  than 
their  constituency  will  support. 

Notwithstanding  the  small  income  of  the  coun- 
try editor,  he  is  better  off  financially,  and  other- 
wise, than  are  ninety-nine  per  cent  of  the  city 
journalists.  If  he  is  a  steady  worker,  and  has 
as  much  as  ordinary  ability,  he  is  reasonably  sure 
of  making  a  living,  and  he  can  obtain  it  without 
night  work  or  overwork.  If  he  is  a  decent  sort 
of  a  fellow,  he  will  be  considered  the  leading  man, 
or  one  of  the  leading  men,  of  his  community.  He 
has  not  only  a  local  habitation,  but  a  local  name 
of  consequence.  He  is  often  the  best-known  and 
most  respected  individual  in  his  town. 

I  am  of  the  opinion,  and  I  speak  advisedly,  be- 
cause I  have  learned  the  newspaper  business  from 
the  case  to  the  editorial  chair,  and  from  washing 
the  roller  to  the  feeding  of  the  press,  both  in  the 


NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES      145 

city  and  in  the  country,  that  the  average  country 
newspaper  man  is  likely  to  accumulate  more 
money  and  have  an  easier  time  in  the  getting  of 
it,  than  it  is  possible  for  his  city  brother  to  ob- 
tain in  the  fierce  competition  and  turmoil  of  met- 
ropolitan journalism. 

If  the  country  editor  has  ability,  he  stands  a 
hundred  times  better  chance  of  being  elected  to 
a  town,  state,  or  national  office,  than  does  the 
city  newspaper  man. 

He  can,  at  far  less  effort,  become  prominent 
both  socially  and  politically.  If  he  knows  his 
business,  his  income  is  reasonably  secure.  He 
may  be  the  manager  of  little,  but  over  that  little 
he  is  supreme. 

Most  decidedly  would  I  advise  the  would-be 
journalist,  if  he  lives  in  the  country,  to  remain 
in  the  country.  I  would  even  go  further,  and 
advise  nine  tenths  of  city  journalists  to  consider 
the  purchase  of  a  country  newspaper. 

Any  bright  and  reliable  newspaper  man,  if  he 
is  not  devoid  of  business  instinct,  can  purchase  a 
country  newspaper,  with  a  first  payment  as  low 
as  a  thousand  dollars,  and  even  less.  If  he  at- 


146      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

tends  to  business,  he  can  enjoy  an  income  of  from 
a  thousand  to  three  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and, 
as  living  in  the  country  is  much  less  expensive 
than  maintaining  a  residence  in  the  city,  he  is 
likely  to  live  better,  and  to  save  more  money,  than 
would  be  possible  with  double  the  income  in  a 
large  city. 

As  there  are  over  twenty  thousand  country 
newspapers,  and  as  there  are  many  opportunities 
for  the  establishment  of  new  ones,  it  is  not  at  all 
difficult  to  discover  an  opening. 

Newspaper  publishers,  like  other  men,  die  or 
retire,  and  their  property  is  for  sale.  As  com- 
paratively few  pampers  are  sold  for  all  cash,  a 
good  reputation  and  some  ability,  with  little 
money,  are  sufficient  for  the  procuring  of  a 
profitable  country  newspaper. 

The  would-be  buyer,  however,  should  give  pref- 
erence to  the  paper  published  in  a  growing  town, 
even  though  it  is  not  much  more  than  self-sup- 
porting. Prospects,  as  much  as  intrinsic  present 
values,  are  of  importance. 

If  the  new  owner  attends  to  business,  and  is 
competent,  and  will  practice  economy  for  a  few 


NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES 

years,  he  can  liquidate  his  indebtedness  from  out 
of  the  profits  of  his  paper. 

The  country  editor  is  the  most  independent 
man  on  earth.  He  is  pretty  sure  of  a  living  in- 
come, and  he  does  not  have  to  overwork,  although 
his  labors  are  confining. 

His  property,  if  well  managed,  is  likely  to  in- 
crease in  value,  and  although  he  may  not  accumu- 
late a  large  sum,  or  ever  enjoy  a  magnificent 
income,  he  can,  if  he  will,  get  all  of  the  necessities 
of  life  out  of  his  business,  and  some  of  the  lux- 
uries. 

He  may  live  near  his  office,  or  even  next  door 
to  it.  He  does  not  have  to  devote  one  hour,  or 
two  hours,  of  his  time  every  day  to  traveling  be- 
tween his  home  and  the  office,  as  does  the  city 
newspaper  man.  He  has  little  or  no  night  work. 
He  does  not  have  to  be  brilliant.  If  he  is  steady, 
painstaking,  cautious,  and  economical,  and  be- 
haves himself,  he  will  get  out  of  life  practically 
all  that  is  worth  having,  will  occupy  a  prominent 
local  position,  and  will  live  longer  than  does  his 
city  brother. 

The    average    country    newspaper    editor,    al- 


148      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

though  his  entire  property,  including  his  home, 
may  not  inventory  for  more  than  three  or  four 
thousand  dollars,  is  better  off  financially  than 
are  ninety-five  per  cent  of  city  journalists,  and 
I  may  say  ninety  per  cent  of  city  business  men. 

While  the  country  editor  or  publisher  remains 
close  to  his  journalistic  grindstone,  he  does  not 
have  to  keep  his  nose  upon  it.  His  work  is  con- 
fining, but  not  strenuous.  He  has  the  time,  and 
the  opportunity,  to  enter  politics,  to  practice 
philanthropy,  to  become  an  educator,  and  to  ob- 
tain fame  and  an  extra  income  from  the  writing 
of  books  and  other  literature. 

Many  an  editor  of  a  country  newspaper  uses 
his  paper  and  printing  office  as  the  basis  of  liveli- 
hood-making, and  takes  up  other  work,  which  he 
could  not  handle  if  he  were  not  well-founded  in 
country  journalism. 

Some  of  our  ablest  literary  men  obtained  their 
start  in  life,  their  experience,  and  incentive  to  do 
things,  while  occupying  the  editorial  chair  in  a 
country  newspaper  sanctum.  Many  of  our  most 
prominent  men,  including  statesmen,  graduated 
from  the  country  newspaper  office,  and  have  never 


NEWSPAPER  OPPORTUNITIES     149 

attempted  to  meet  the  strenuous  competition  of 
city  journalism  or  business. 

The  principle  or  policy  of  beginning  at  the 
bottom,  and  of  mastering  every  rung  of  progres- 
sion's ladder,  as  one  moves  upward  and  onward, 
applies  to  every  vocation,  and  especially  to  jour- 
nalism. The  majority  of  our  gold-bespangled 
commanders  of  floating  palaces,  obtained  their 
commands  because  they  learned  wind,  water,  tides, 
bars,  reefs,  and  coast  lines,  while  they  were  close 
to  danger  as  masters  of  sailing  vessels,  and  this 
experience  enabled  them  to  handle  the  great  steam- 
ship carrying  a  crew  and  passenger  list  equal  to 
the  population  of  a  town. 

Almost  any  man  with  a  common  school  educa- 
tion can  edit  a  country  newspaper,  but  I  would 
not  advise  any  one  to  take  up  this  calling,  if  he 
does  not  love  the  work,  for  journalism  requires 
not  only  labor,  but  love  of  the  work  at  hand,  and 
a  naturally  developed  desire  to  enter  this  field. 

Country  journalism,  to  one  who  likes  it,  offers 
the  maximum  of  comfort  at  the  minimum  of  anx- 
iety. 

Therefore,  I  would  advise  the  would-be  journal- 


150      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

1st  of  the  country  not  to  fix  his  ideas  permanently 
upon  the  sky-scraping  tower  of  city  journalism  to 
the  exclusion  of  health  and  happiness,  which  may 
be  his  if  he  remains  in  the  country,  even  though 
his  printing  press  must  be  turned  by  hand,  and 
his  sanctum  be  in  close  proximity  to  the  type-case 
and  the  ink-barrel. 

I  would  hold  the  plainly  framed  picture  of  life 
in  a  country  newspaper  office  before  the  red- 
rimmed  eyes  and  pale  and  sallow  cheeks  of  those 
struggling  city  newspaper  toilers,  who  are  likely 
forever  to  live  at  the  base  of  the  monument  of 
metropolitan  fame,  and  who  may  not  hope  to  ar- 
rive nearer  than  at  a  gazing  distance  to  the  spot 
which  they  are  not  likely  to  reach  save  in  their 
dreams. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

MANUSCRIPT  OR  COPY 

EDITORIAL,  news,  and  other  newspaper  mat- 
ter should  be  written  upon  paper  of  stand- 
ard size,  which  measures  eight  and  a  half  inches 
from  right  to  left  by  eleven  inches  from  top  to 
bottom.  This  size  is  not  only  the  most  con- 
venient, both  for  the  typewriter  and  for  hand 
work,  but  it  is  the  most  economical,  because  prac- 
tically all  writing  paper  is  made  up  in  sheets 
seventeen  by  twenty-two  inches,  a  single  sheet 
making  four  sheets  of  manuscript  paper. 

The  best  stock  to  use  is  ordinary  bond,  which 
can  be  purchased  as  low  as  seven  cents  per  pound. 
Sixteen  pound  weight  is  a  good  thickness.  At 
seven  cents  a  pound,  five  hundred  sheets,  seven- 
teen by  twenty-two  inches,  can  be  purchased  for 
a  dollar  and  twelve  cents,  to  which  should  be  added 
ten  or  fifteen  cents  for  cutting.  These  sheets, 
151 


152      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

when  cut  up,  give  two  thousand  sheets  of  manu- 
script. 

Bond  paper  is  tough  and  strong  and  will  not 
easily  tear  in  the  typewriter.  No  other  quality 
of  paper  is  as  serviceable  or  as  economical  in  the 
end.  Ordinary  news  paper,  however,  can  be  used 
when  the  matter  is  to  be  written  in  pencil,  but 
news  paper  is  pretty  sure  to  be  torn  in  the  type- 
writer. 

Light  yellow,  light  orange,  light  buff,  light 
gray,  or  light  blue  is  to  be  preferred  to  white,  as 
it  is  easier  for  the  eyes. 

All  newspaper  copy  should  be  very  widely 
spaced,  whether  written  by  pen,  pencil,  or  on  the 
typewriter.  When  written  on  the  typewriter, 
there  should  be  at  least  two  spaces  between  the 
lines,  three  are  better,  and  some  newspapers  pre- 
fer four  spaces.  Wide  spacing  facilitates  the 
reading  of  the  manuscript,  both  by  the  editor  and 
by  the  compositor,  and  there  is  room  for  inter- 
lining and  changes.  Single  spacing  should  never 
be  used. 

The  newspaper  man  should  never  use  the  eraser, 
either  for  the  pencil,  the  pen,  or  on  the  typewriter. 


MANUSCRIPT  OR  COPY  153 

Unless  great  pains  is  taken,  erasures  are  difficult 
to  make,  and  require  time.  The  writer  should 
draw  his  pen  or  pencil  through  words  to  be 
omitted,  and  use  x's  when  writing  on  the  type- 
writer. He  should  avoid  interlining  as  much  as 
possible,  as  it  is  better  to  cross  out  the  words,  and 
to  begin  again,  than  to  confuse  the  editor  and 
compositor  with  words  or  sentences  written  be- 
tween the  lines.  The  appearance  of  copy  counts 
for  nothing  in  the  newspaper  office,  so  long  as  it 
is  clear  and  legible. 

Each  page  of  copy  should  be  numbered  with 
figures,  which  should  be  placed  in  the  upper 
right-hand  corner.  If,  by  accident,  a  page  num- 
ber is  omitted,  it  is  not  necessary  to  renumber  the 
pages  of  the  manuscript ;  write  on  the  page  before 
the  omitted  page,  "  No  page  No.  16,"  for  exam- 
ple. If  pages  are  added  after  the  manuscript  is 
completed,  the  pages  need  not  be  renumbered.  In 
the  left-hand  corner  of  the  inserted  page  write  the 
number  of  the  page  preceding  it,  and  follow 
the  figure  with  "  B,"  and  be  sure  to  write  "  A  " 
after  the  figure  on  the  page  preceding  it.  If  you 
do  not,  and  the  "  B  "  page  falls  out,  there  is  noth- 


154      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

ing  to  show,  except  the  break  in  the  manuscript, 
that  a  page  was  added.  If  more  than  one  page 
is  inserted  mark  the  second  one  with  the  figure 
followed  with  "  C,"  etc.  At  the  top  of  the  last 
inserted  page,  write  the  words,  "  Next  page 
(page  number  of  the  following  page)."  This 
connects  the  manuscript,  and  prevents  possibility 
of  confusion. 

Unless  your  copy  is  very  carefully  written,  it 
is  well  to  place  paragraph  marks  where  they  are 
needed.  Otherwise  the  compositor  may  run  in 
lines  which  should  be  paragraphed.  It  is  also  a 
good  plan  to  place  a  ring  or  circle  around  your! 
periods,  if  your  manuscript  is  hand-written,  so 
that  they  will  not  be  confused  with  other  punc- 
tuation marks.  If,  after  your  manuscript  is 
written,  you  desire  to  capitalize  the  beginning  of 
certain  words  for  which  you  have  used  a  small 
letter,  it  is  better  to  mark  three  lines  under  the 
letter  to  be  capitalized  than  to  attempt  to  make 
the  small  letter  a  capital  by  writing  the  capital 
over  it.  Capital  letters  will  be  set  in  lower  case, 
if  you  draw  a  light  line  through  them.  A  single 
line  drawn  under  a  word  signifies  it  is  to  be  set 


MANUSCRIPT  OR  COPY  155 

in  italics.  Two  lines  drawn  under  a  word  call 
for  small  capitals,  and  three  lines  stand  for  cap- 
itals. 

Be  very  careful  with  proper  names  and  tech- 
nical terms.  If  you  do  not  use  the  typewriter, 
print  them  in  preference  to  writing  them. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

TYPEWRITTEN  COPY 

PRACTICALLY  no  large  newspaper  will  ac- 
cept a  manuscript  which  is  not  written  upon 
the  typewriter.  The  reporters  and  editors  are 
furnished  with  typewriting  machines,  and  they 
must  either  typewrite  what  they  produce,  or  have 
it  done  for  them.  They  are  given  a  uniform  size 
of  sheet,  and  at  least  two,  and  sometimes  three  or 
four,  spaces  are  required  between  the  lines. 

Typewritten  manuscript  is  demanded,  because 
it  is  more  legible,  and  because  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  linotype,  which  casts  complete  lines 
and  not  individual  type.  If  a  manuscript  is  not 
typewritten  and  carefully  edited,  the  linotype 
operator  will  be  confused,  and  too  many  correc- 
tions will  be  necessary  after  the  matter  is  set ; 
and  these  cannot  be  made  economically  on  the 
linotype. 

156 


TYPEWRITTEN  COPY  157 

Local  weekly  newspapers,  however,  do  not  al- 
ways insist  upon  typewritten  copy,  although  much 
of  it  is  written  upon  the  typewriter. 

Tli£  reporter  or  editor  should,  then,  be  able 
to  manipulate  the  typewriter.  A  proficiency  in 
spelling  and  punctuation  is  required,  which  for- 
merly did  not  appear  to  be  as  necessary. 

Of  course,  any  mistakes  will  be  corrected  by  the 
desk  or  other  editor,  but  the  copy  should  be  clean, 
nevertheless. 

Editors  commanding  large  salaries  often  dic- 
tate their  copy  to  a  stenographer,  who  writes  it 
out  on  the  typewriter;  but  the  majority  of  edi- 
tors and  reporters  are  required  to  do  their  own 
typewriting,  and  many  of  them  are  not  able  to 
dictate. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

ABOUT  TYPE 

UNTIL  1452,  when  Gutenberg  of  Germany 
invented  the  movable  metallic  type,  and  the 
method  of  casting  it,  the  few  books  published 
were  either  hand-written  or  crudely  printed  from 
engravings  cut  on  wood. 

Gutenberg  earned  the  right  to  be  considered 
one  of  the  great  forefathers  of  progress.  With- 
out his  invention  civilization  would  not  have  had 
a  proper  vehicle  of  progress. 

Type  and  the  printing  press  are  responsible 
for  the  Art  Creative  of  All  Art. 

Without  printing  the  nations  would  have  con- 
tinued in  isolation,  and  have  been  without  means 
of  intercommunication;  and  scholars  would  have 
been  without  opportunity  to  distribute  their  learn- 
ing. 

The  product   of  the  printing  press  has  done 
158 


ABOUT  TYPE  159 

more  for  civilization  than  has  anything  else  de- 
vised or  produced  by  men. 

However,  enough  of  history.  While  what  we 
are  is  not  disconnected  from  what  we  were,  mod- 
ern life,  anchored  though  it  may  be  to  the  past, 
draws  its  nourishment  from  the  present,  and 
reckons  its  longevity  by  the  prospects  of  the  fu- 
ture. 

Metallic  type  is  automatically  cast  from  a  ma- 
trix, and  in  separate  letters.  A  piece  of  type  con- 
sists of  a  shank  or  base  at  one  end  of  which  is 
cast  solid  with  it  the  face  of  the  letter. 

Ordinary  Roman  or  body  type  is  distributed 
into  two  cases,  one  known  as  the  upper  case,  con- 
taining principally  capitals  and  small  capitals; 
and  the  lower  case,  which  carries  the  small  let- 
ters and  the  figures.  In  one  case,  room  is  left 
for  spaces,  which  are  placed  between  the  words. 
These  cases  are  placed  upon  a  rack,  the  lower 
case  being  nearer  the  compositor  and  upon  a 
slant,  the  upper  case  being  back  of  the  lower 
case,  and  tipped  at  a  greater  angle.  The  ar- 
rangement of  the  cases  gives  the  terms,  "  lower 
case "  and  "  upper  case,"  which  are  commonly 


160     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

used  in  newspaper  and  printing  offices  to  desig- 
nate small  letters  and  capitals. 

The  type  is  set  in  what  is  known  as  a  composing 
stick,  or  "  stick,"  which  the  compositor  holds  in 
his  left  hand.  He  sets  one  letter  at  a  time,  from 
left  to  right  and  up-side-down.  When  the  stick 
is  full  the  type  is  dumped  into  what  is  known  as 
the  "  live  galley,"  and  from  there  is  locked  up 
into  a  steel  chase  or  frame,  which  is  placed  in  the 
printing  press. 

Compositors  or  typesetters  of  regular  straight 
body  or  reading  matter  usually  work  by  the  piece ; 
that  is,  they  are  paid  from  twenty-five  to  sixty 
cents  per  thousand  ems,  irrespective  of  the  size 
of  the  type  set,  provided  it  is  not  larger  than  1£ 
Point  (Pica). 

The  em  represents  the  width  of  the  lower  case 
66  m,"  which  is  set  upon  a  shank  having  the  same 
width  as  depth.  There  is  no  larger  shank  than 
that  of  the  em  (m),  and  many  of  the  letters  oc- 
cupy much  less  space,  like  i,  t,  or  j.  Therefore, 
the  space  of  a  thousand  ems  would  probably  re- 
quire the  handling  of  from  fifteen  hundred  to 


ABOUT  TYPE  161 

two   thousand   separate   pieces   of  type,   or   type 
and   spaces. 

After  the  type  is  set  and  placed  in  the  galley, 
it  is  measured  by  a  type  rule  from  left  to  right 
and  from  top  to  bottom.  For  example:  if  the 
type  column  width  is,  say,  thirteen  ems,  and  the 
depth  one  hundred  lines,  it  would  represent  thir- 
teen hundred  ems. 

Metallic  or  cast  type,  which  is  composed 
largely  of  lead,  is  divided,  for  convenience,  into 
the  following  sizes : 

3^  Point   (Brilliant). 

44  Point  (Diamond). 

5  Point   (Pearl). 
5J  Point  (Agate). 

14  lines  to  the  inch  when  set  solid. 

6  Point   (Nonpareil). 

12  lines  to  the  inch  when  set  solid. 

7  Point  (Minion). 

Twice  the  size  of  3J  Point. 

8  Point   (Brevier). 

9  Point   (Bourgeois). 

Twice  the  size  of  4^  Point. 


162      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

10  Point  (Long  Primer). 

Twice  the  size  of  5  Point. 

11  Point  (Small  Pica). 

Twice  the  size  of  5^  Point. 

12  Point  (Pica). 

Twice  the  size  of  6  Point.     Six  lines  to  the 

inch  when  set  solid. 
14  Point   (English). 

Twice  the  size  of  7  Point. 
16  Point  (2-Line  Brevier). 

Twice  the  size  of  8  Point. 
18  Point  (Great  Primer  or  3-Line  Nonpareil). 

Twice  the  size  of  9  Point. 
20  Point  (Paragon  or  2-Line  Long  Primer). 

Twice  the  size  of  10  Point. 
22  Point  (Double  Small  Pica). 

Twice   the   size   of   11    Point. 
24  Point  (Double  Pica). 

Twice  the  size  of  12  Point. 
28  Point  (2-Line  English). 

Twice  the  size  of  14  Point. 
30  Point  (5-Line  Nonpareil). 

Five  times  the  size  of  6  Point. 


ABOUT  TYPE  163 

32  Point. 

36  Point   (Double  Great  Primer  or  6-Line  Non- 
pareil). 

40    Point     (Double    Paragon    or    4-Line    Long 
Primer). 

42  Point  (7-Line  Nonpareil). 

44  Point  (Canon  or  4-Line  Small  Pica). 

48  Point  (4-Line  Pica). 

54  Point. 

60  Point  (5-Line  Pica). 

72  Point  (6-Line  Pica). 

Six   times   the   size   of   12  Point.     One  line 
makes  an  inch. 

Comparatively  little  metal  type  is  made  larger 
than  72  Point,  and  most  type  above  this  size  is 
cut  in  wood,  and  is  designated  as  2-Line,  etc., 
larger  sizes  being  made  to  order.  Some  foun- 
dries, however,  cast  a  few  sizes  above  72  Point. 

The  following  paragraphs  present  the  common 
sizes  of  regular  Roman  faces,  and  give  an  eye- 
picture  of  the  relative  proportion  of  type  sizes. 
I  have  intentionally  omitted  3%  Point,  4*/2  Point, 


164      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

and  5  Point,  as  the  two  former  are  seldom  used, 
and  the  latter  appears  infrequently  even  in  foot- 
notes. Few  printers  or  newspapers  carry  type 
smaller  than 


This  paragraph  is  set  in  5%  Point  (Agate),  the  size  almost 
universally  used  for  the  setting  of  "  want,"  or  other  classified 
advertisements,  in  the  daily  newspapers,  but  it  is  seldom  used 
for  reading  matter,  except  in  closely  printed  books  like  small 
Bibles.  The  advertising  space  in  the  large  newspapers,  arid  in 
most  of  the  magazines,  is  reckoned  upon  a  basis  of  Agate  meas- 
urement; that  is,  the  number  of  lines  of  Agate,  set  solid,  which 
will  go  into  a  single  column  space,  irrespective  of  the  size  of 
display  type  contained  in  the  advertisement.  Fourteen  Agate 
lines,  set  solid,  make  one  inch.  When  the  advertiser  orders  one 
inch  of  advertising  space,  he  is  entitled  to  as  many  words,  if 
set  in  Agate,  as  can  appear  in  fourteen  lines  of  Agate,  set  solid. 
Although  he  may  use  any  size  of  type  which  will  fit  the  space, 
he  pays  a  specified  price  per  Agate  line.  For  example:  if  the 
advertisement  occupies  one  inch,  and  the  rate  is  ten  cents  per 
line,  the  space  costs  one  dollar  and  forty  cents. 

This'  paragraph  is  set  in  6  Point  (Nonpareil),  the  size  of 
letter  almost  universally  used  for  the  news  and  other  reading 
matter  in  the  daily  newspapers,  and  the  smallest  size  appear- 
ing- in  books,  except  in  the  very  few  which  are  closely  printed. 
It  is  frequently  used  for  foot  and  marginal  notes  and  for 
quotations,  and  it  may  appear  in  dictionaries  and  directories. 
Some  country  newspapers'  reckon  their  advertising-  on  a  basis 
of  Nonpareil,  which  requires  twelve  lines  to  give  the  depth 
of  an  inch  when  set  solid. 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  7  Point  (Minion),  a  size  of  type 
quite  generally  used  for  reading  matter  in  high-class  weeklies 
and  in  many  small  dailies.  It  often  appears  in  books,  and  is 
very  readable,  provided  the  column  or  page  is  not  more  than 
three  inches  wide.  It  is  an  excellent  size  for  footnotes  and 
for  quotations,  and  is  much  used  in  job  work. 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  8  Point  (Brevier).  The  major- 
ity of  country  newspapers  set  their  reading  matter  in  this 
size  af  type,  and  it  appears  in  quite  a  number  of  books, 
especially  those  of  paper  covers.  It  is  a  very  readable  size, 
and  is  adapted  to  every  class  of  reading  matter,  but  the 
width  of  the  lines  should  not  exceed  three  and  a  half 
inches.  Some  of  the  magazines  are  set  in  Brevier. 


ABOUT  TYPE  165 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  9  Point  (Bourgeois),  which 
is  occasionally  used  for  the  reading  matter  of  country 
newspapers,  and  for  magazines  and  class  publications. 
It  sometimes  appears  in  circulars  and  catalogues,  and 
is  readable  under  all  conditions,  if  the  width  of  the 
lines  is  not  greater  than  four  inches. 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  10  Point  (Long  Primer), 
a  size  that  is  very  "  filling,"  and  is  used  largely  by 
magazines,  and  other  publications  which  are  not 
newspapers.  It  is  seen  in  a  good  grade  of  books, 
and  is  an  excellent  size  for  catalogues  and  circu- 
lars. It  is  the  smallest  face  that  should  appear  in 
a  flyer  or  handbill,  and  then  it  should  be  used  only 
for  secondary  matter.  It  is  adaptable  to  the  de- 
scriptive part  of  advertisements. 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  n  Point  (Small  Pica), 
which  is  an  acceptable  size  for  high-grade  books, 
for  art  magazines,  and  for  college  and  society 
papers.  It  is  adapted  to  circulars  and  artistic 
catalogues,  and  for  the  descriptive  matter  in  large 
advertisements.  It  will  fit  into  any  width  of  line 
from  two  inches  to  even  six  inches. 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  12  Point  (Pica), 
which  is  decidedly  a  good  size  to  use  for  the 
best  grade  of  books,  for  those  of  more  than  or- 
dinary size,  and  for  high-art  publications.  It 
is  admirably  adapted  to  descriptive  matter  in 
large  advertisements,  and  to  all  work  which 
does  not  need  to  be  condensed.  It  is  too  large 


166     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

to  fit  into  a  newspaper  column  and  adapts  itself 
readily  to  any  column  or  page  width  not  less 
than  three  inches,  nor  more  than  eight  inches. 

This  paragraph  is  set  in  14  Point 
(English),  which  is  a  very  appro- 
priate size  for  descriptive  matter  in 
handbills,  and  may  be  used  to  advan- 
tage in  large  advertisements.  Few  books 
are  set  in  type  larger  than  this,  and  even 
this  size  seldom  appears,  comparatively 
few  books  being  set  in  type  larger  than 
12  Point.  This  size,  however,  is  appro- 
priate for  books  for  children. 

The  larger  sizes  of  type  are  never  used  for  read- 
ing matter,  except  in  advertisements,  and  it  is 
not  necessary  to  present  them  here. 

The  unabridged  specimen  book  of  type  contains 
exceeding  fifty  thousand  different  faces  and  sizes. 
Type  faces,  semitechnically  speaking,  are  divided 
into  three  great  classifications : 

First,  Roman  type,  which  is  used  exclusively 
for  the  reading  matter  in  newspapers,  periodicals, 
and  books,  except  in  the  very  few  which  are  pub- 
lished, edited,  or  written  by  typographical  cranks, 


ABOUT  TYPE  167 

who  have  not  sense  enough  to  realize  that  the 
reading  matter  is  to  be  read,  and,  therefore,  must 
be  set  to  be  read. 

Roman  or  body  type  is  of  two  principal  kinds : 
First,  what  is  known  as  "  Old  Style,"  which  has 
a  face  with  the  lines  in  each  letter  of  practically 
the  same  width  and  with  no  shading.  The  face  is 
light  and  thin,  compared  with  the  so-called  Mod- 
ern Roman. 

Old  Style  type  appears  in  most  books,  and  in 
many  periodicals,  but  seldom  is  seen  in  the  news- 
paper. The  thinness  of  its  lines  makes  it  less 
durable  than  the  Modern  face.  Old  Style  type 
should  never  be  used  where  figures  appear  fre- 
quently, because  Old  Style  figures  are  not  dis- 
tinct, the  lower  line  of  the  "  9,"  for  example,  go- 
ing below  the  line  of  type,  and  the  "  9,"  therefore, 
looking  like  an  "  o  "  if  the  tail  of  it  becomes  dam- 
aged or  is  indistinctly  printed. 

The  face  of  Modern  Roman  is  similar  to  that 
of  Old  Style  Roman,  except  that  the  lines  of  each 
letter  are  not  of  the  same  width  and  some  of  them 
are  shaded.  It  is  used  almost  universally  by  news- 
papers, for  it  is,  untechnically  speaking,  a  "  hard- 


168     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

ier  "  face  and  will  stand  more  wear.  It  is  no  more 
legible  than  is  Old  Style,  but  as  it  is  as  easy  to 
read,  some  publishers  prefer  it  and  use  it  for  book 
work. 

Modern  Roman  figures  are  distinct  and  no  part 
of  them  falls  below  the  regular  type  line. 

Old  Style  Roman  is,  as  a  rule,  less  compact  than 
is  the  Modern  face;  that  is  to  say,  from  five  to 
twenty  per  cent,  more  words  may  appear  within  a 
given  space  if  set  in  Modern,  than  could  be  used 
in  the  same  space  if  set  in  an  Old  Style  face. 

Besides  Old  Style  and  Modern  Roman  faces, 
there  are  a  number  of  faces  resembling  them,  and 
yet  having  a  slightly  different  appearance.  Many 
of  them  are  as  readable,  but  some  of  them  tire  or 
confuse  the  eye. 

They  are  given  arbitrary  names,  like  Century, 
Clearface,  Scotch  Roman,  etc. 

An  italic  or  sloping  face  accompanies  every 
size  and  style  of  Roman  type. 

Secondly:  Full  Face  type  may  be  likened  to 
Roman  type  of  heavier  face,  resembling  Roman  in 
general  style,  but  made  with  heavier  lines.  The 
different  faces  bear  arbitrary  names,  like  DeVinne, 


ABOUT  TYPE  169 

Howland,  Roycroft,  Plymouth,  etc.,  including 
hundreds  of  styles  of  Gothic. 

A  Gothic  face  is  geometrical,  practically  all  of 
the  lines  being  of  the  same  width.  It  has  been 
called  a  block  letter.  It  is  very  distinct,  and  is 
much  used  for  newspaper  headings. 

The  majority  of  display  faces  are  made  in 
three  styles:  one  being  known,  say,  as  DeVinne, 
the  accompanying  faces  being  called  DeVinne  Con- 
densed and  DeVinne  Expanded  or  Extended.  The 
condensed  face  is  similar  to  the  regular  face,  but 
more  condensed  from  right  to  left,  and  the  ex- 
panded face  has  a  greater  length  from  right  to 
left. 

Thirdly:  Ornamental  type.  There  are  thou- 
sands of  ornamental  faces,  most  of  which  are 
known  by  arbitrary  names,  the  Old  English  Text 
being  included.  They  never  appear  in  newspa- 
pers, except  occasionally  in  the  advertising,  and 
should  not  be  permitted  in  books.  They  are  used 
for  commercial  printing,  for  invitations,  and  for 
many  other  purposes.  They  are  unfitted  for 
reading  matter. 

Practically    all    type,    including   Roman    body 


170     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 


type,  is  made  in  series,  running  from  S1/^  or  6 
Point  to  even  72  Point,  but  comparatively  few 
faces  are  cast  in  more  than  six  or  eight  sizes. 

The  use  of  type  in  series  gives  a  greater  ar- 
tistic appearance  to  the  work,  as  the  different  sizes 
harmonize. 

The  reading  matter  in  the  newspapers  is  set 
solid,  but  most  book  pages  are  set  with  spaces 
between  the  lines,  and  are  technically  known  as 
leaded.  Leads  are  strips  of  lead  of  various  thick- 
nesses, and  are  reckoned  on  a  Pica  basis.  If  six 
leads  placed  together  would  give  a  depth  of  a 
Pica  type,  they  are  known  as  "  6-to-Pica."  So 
far  as  I  know,  no  leads  are  made  finer  than  "  10-to- 
Pica."  When  the  lead  is  more  than  "  3-to-Pica," 
it  is  usually  known  as  a  "  slug." 

The  majority  of  books  are  leaded  with  "  6-to- 
Pica  "  leads,  but  some  of  them  have  greater 
spaces  between  the  lines. 

The  number  of  words  contained  in  a  given  space 
is  dependent,  not  only  upon  the  size  of  that  space, 
but  upon  the  size  of  the  type  used,  and  also  upon 
whether  or  not  it  is  set  solid  or  leaded.  To  ascer- 
tain the  number  of  words,  which  will  appear  in  any 


ABOUT  TYPE  171 

given  space,  the  writer  should  count  the  words 
on  a  printed  column  or  page  representing  the 
typography  which  will  be  used.  He  need  not 
count  the  words  in  more  than  a  few  lines  to  strike 
an  average. 

(See  chapter  entitled,  "  Typesetting  Machines, 
—  The  Linotype  and  Monotype.") 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

TYPESETTING  MACHINES, —  THE  LINOTYPE 
AND  MONOTYPE 

EVERY    large    daily    newspaper,    and    many 
books  and  pamphlets,  are  not  hand-set,  but 
are  set  by  the  linotype,  monotype,  or  typesetting 
machine. 

The  linotype,  commonly  used  in  newspaper  of- 
fices, and  costing  three  thousand  dollars  and  up- 
wards, casts  a  complete  line  of  type.  The  opera- 
tor sits  before  a  keyboard  resembling  that  of  a 
typewriter.  When  he  presses  a  key,  a  brass  ma- 
trix drops  into  a  receiver,  and,  when  sufficient 
matrices  have  been  set,  the  operator  presses  a 
lever,  and  this  line  of  matrices  is  automatically 
cast  into  a  line  of  letters.  The  other  lines  are 
set  and  cast  in  the  same  way.  The  matrices  are 
automatically  distributed  to  be  set  again.  A 
single  operator  can  set  four  thousand  ems  per 
hour  of  regular  reading  matter. 


THE  LINOTYPE  AND  MONOTYPE       173 

This  is  exceeded,  but  four  thousand  is  a  good 
average.  As  the  "  em  "  is  the  largest  letter,  one 
thousand  "  ems  "  (the  technical  term  used)  would 
require  the  setting  of  fifteen  hundred  or  more 
letters  and  spaces. 

The  first-class  hand-compositor  sets  eight  hun- 
dred ems  an  hour,  and  the  record  speed  is  about 
two  thousand. 

The  great  newspaper  maintains  batteries  of  a 
dozen  linotypes,  or  two  or  three  times  that  num- 
ber. All  of  the  reading  matter  is  set  on  the  lino- 
type, and  many  of  the  headings,  some  linotypes 
having  faces  as  large  as  72  Point,  but  few  of  the 
machines  carry  those  larger  than  60  Point. 

Many  linotypes  are  made  with  several  maga- 
zines, each  holding  a  set  of  matrices,  so  that  many 
faces  and  sizes  may  be  set  by  the  same  machine. 

Many  books  are  set  on  the  linotype,  as  the  work 
of  this  machine  is  satisfactory  if  the  book  is  not 
to  be  printed  upon  coated  or  hard  paper. 

The  lead  used  in  the  linotype  is  melted  over 
again,  with  only  a  slight  waste. 

The  monotype  is  similar,  and  yet  different, 
from  the  linotype.  The  operator  sits  in  front  of 


174     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

a  keyboard,  and  each  key  when  pressed  makes  an 
impression  on  a  roll  of  paper  similar  to  that  used 
for  the  automatic  piano-player.  This  roll  is 
placed  in  another  machine,  which  automatically 
casts  and  sets  single  type.  The  speed  of  the 
monotype  is  about  that  of  the  linotype.  The 
monotype  is  admirably  adapted  to  book  work, 
partly  because  its  work  is  as  easily  corrected  as 
is  that  of  hand-set  type,  while  a  correction  made 
on  the  linotype  requires  the  resetting  and  recast- 
ing of  an  entire  line. 

Many  newspapers  are  set  on  the  monotype  ex- 
clusively, and  other  newspapers  employ  both  the 
linotype  and  monotype. 

Comparatively  few  books  nowadays  are  hand- 
set, either  the  monotype  or  linotype  being  used. 
Notwithstanding  this,  the  sale  of  ordinary  type  is 
on  the  increase,  neither  of  these  automatic  setting 
machines  seeming  to  interfere  with  its  output. 

Most  of  the  country  newspapers  are  printed 
directly  from  hand-set  type,  but  the  larger  ones 
are  set  on  the  linotype  or  monotype,  without  the 
forms  being  stereotyped. 

Several    country    newspapers    use    typesetting 


THE  LINOTYPE  AND  MONOTYPE       175 

machines,  which  set  regular  type,  and  do  not  cast 
either  single  letters  or  lines. 

Nothing  in  this  chapter  must  be  construed  as 
making  an  unfavorable  comparison  between  either 
the  monotype,  the  linotype,  or  hand-set  type,  for 
each  process  has  its  individual  use  and  advantages ; 
but  type  is  no  longer  hand-set  in  the  offices  of  the 
leading  newspapers,  and  the  linotype  and  mono- 
type are  now  being  used  very  extensively  by  book 
and  magazine  publishers.  Hand-set  type,  how- 
ever, maintains  its  supremacy  in  quality  of  result, 
but  machine-set  and  -made  type  answers  the  pur- 
pose in  many  cases. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE  FEINTING  PRESS 

PRESSES  used  for  printing,  other  than  for 
engraving,  are  of  three  kinds :  First,  the 
ordinary  job  press,  which  is  turned  either  by  foot 
or  power,  and  is  used  for  the  printing  of  cards, 
circulars,  and  other  small  matter.  It  is  fed  by 
hand.  Secondly,  the  cylinder  press,  usually 
operated  by  power,  but  occasionally  by  hand. 
It  is  used  for  the  printing  of  books,  catalogues, 
pamphlets,  and  for  newspapers  other  than  those 
having  large  circulations.  It  is  hand-fed. 
Thirdly,  the  perfecting  press.  This  press  is  a 
modern  invention,  and  is  used  exclusively  by  large 
newspapers,  and  also  for  the  printing  of  maga- 
zines and  books,  but  the  majority  of  books  are 
printed  upon  the  cylinder  press,  because  it  will 
do  better  work.  Type  forms  are  not  used  in  the 

perfecting  press,  the  matter  being  stereotyped  in 
176 


THE  PRINTING  PRESS  177 

the  form  of  cylinders,  which  roll  against  other 
cylinders,  a  continuous  roll  of  paper  circulating 
between.  The  paper  is  automatically  cut  just  as 
it  leaves  the  press,  and  is  frequently  folded. 

The  job  printing  press,  which  is  hand-fed,  has 
a  speed  from  one  thousand  to  two  thousand  an 
hour.  So  far  as  I  know,  no  hand-feeder  can 
exceed  the  latter  figure,  and  the  average  speed  is 
about  twelve  hundred  an  hour  for  ordinary  work. 

Cylinder  presses,  which  are  always  hand-fed, 
have  a  speed  running  from  a  thousand  to  two 
thousand  an  hour,  the  average  speed  not  exceed- 
ing fifteen  hundred. 

The  cylinder  press  delivers  its  product  on  to 
a  table.  The  work  of  the  job  press  has  to  be  not 
only  fed  into  the  press,  but  taken  from  the  press 
by  hand. 

The  largest  perfecting  press  will  print  three 
hundred  thousand  eight-page  papers  an  hour,  and 
will  deliver  them  counted  and  folded,  but  this 
press  is  not  usually  speeded  to  more  than  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  an  hour. 

The  average  perfecting  press  turns  out  about 
seventy-two  thousand  twelve-page  papers  an  hour, 


178      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

delivering  them  and  counting  them.  Other  per- 
fecting presses, —  those  used  for  books, —  deliver 
from  twenty-five  to  fifty  thousand  sheets  an  hour, 
printed  upon  both  sides. 

The  old  Franklin  press  is  still  used  in  a  few 
newspaper  offices.  In  construction  it  resembles 
the  ordinary  press  used  for  copying  letters  in 
letter  books.  The  type-form  is  hand  inked,  and 
the  power  is  supplied  by  hand.  Two  operators 
can  print  from  three  to  four  hundred  papers  (one 
side)  per  hour. 

The  majority  of  country  newspapers  are 
printed  upon  cylinder  presses. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

THE  PUBLISHING  OR  BUSINESS  DEPART- 
MENT OF  A  NEWSPAPER 

ALTHOUGH  this  book  is  primarily  addressed 
to  those  who  are,  or  who  intend  to  be,  jour- 
nalists or  newspaper  writers,  and  who  are  more  in- 
terested in  the  reportorial  and  editorial  side  of  the 
newspaper  than  in  the  business  department  of  it, 
it  is  well,  I  think,  to  refer  at  some  length  to  the 
commercial  or  business  departments  of  newspaper 
making. 

The  newspaper,  although  it  is  one  of  civiliza- 
tion's greatest  agents,  and,  perhaps,  may  be  con- 
sidered the  leading  vehicle  of  progress,  cannot 
exist  for  the  present  without  much  consideration 
being  given  to  those  matters  which  are  responsible 
for  its  financial  support,  unless  it  be  endowed. 
It  is  probable,  however,  that  before  many  years  a 

few,    and,    perhaps,    several    newspapers    will    be 
179 


180     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

wholly  or  partially  supported  by  endowment,  and 
will  not  be  obliged  to  depend  upon  their  incomes. 
The  endowed  newspaper,  however,  still  remains  a 
dream  of  the  future.  If  it  should  be  endowed  by 
one  man,  it  is  quite  likely  that  it  would  not  be 
much  of  an  improvement  upon  those  run  under 
present  commercial  conditions,  because  the  en- 
dower  might  be  as  unfair,  and  as  un journalistic, 
as  are  some  of  the  present  financial  owners,  and 
the  result  be  a  paper  more  biased  and  less  reliable 
than  are  those  which  are  under  the  whip  of  com- 
mercialism. As  the  newspaper  cannot  be  run  with- 
out money,  and  as  it  cannot  obtain  the  necessary 
income  unless  it  gives  attention  to  its  financial 
side,  it  is  obvious  that  the  moneyed  owner  of  it 
will  continue  to  be  responsible  for  its  policy  and  to 
control  its  editorial  and  reportorial  departments. 
However,  to  the  credit  of  many  of  our  great 
newspaper  men  may  it  be  said  that  the  great  ma- 
jority of  them  are  as  fair,  as  broad-minded,  and 
as  patriotic  as  conditions  permit,  and  that  many 
of  them  are  doing  what,  perhaps,  half  of  the 
reformers  would  do,  if  they  exchanged  places. 
Conditions,  more  tjian  individuals,  are  at  fault. 


THE  BUSINESS  DEPARTMENT      181 

The  reader,  as  much  as  the  editor,  needs  reforma- 
tion. When  there  are  enough  readers  to  support 
an  ideal  newspaper  there  will  be  found  plenty  of 
men  to  edit  it.  The  illegitimate  newspaper  is  the 
result  of  popular  demand.  So  long  as  the  public 
wants  a  thing,  good  or  bad,  there  will  be  men 
good  or  bad  enough  to  supply  it. 

The  modern  newspaper  is,  because  it  has  to  be, 
a  commercial  enterprise,  as  much  so  as  the  making 
and  selling  of  clothing  or  the  raising  and  distri- 
bution of  grain. 

The  newspaper  obtains  its  income  from  two 
sources:  First,  from  what  is  received  from  its 
circulation.  While  the  money  taken  in  for  the 
papers  sold  may  be  considerable,  it  is  prob- 
able that  there  are  not  more  than  one  or  two  news- 
papers in  America,  or  in  the  world,  for  that  mat- 
ter, which  could  live  upon  what  is  received  from 
their  circulation.  The  cost  of  the  white  paper 
used  by  many  newspapers  is  as  much  as,  or  more 
than,  what  is  received  from  the  sale  of  them. 
This  being  the  case,  the  newspaper  must  obtain 
from  its  advertisers  money  sufficient  to  pay  for  its 
mechanical  production,  including  even  part  of  the 


182     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

cost  of  the  white  paper,  and,  further,  the  heavy 
expense  of  maintaining  editorial  writers  and  re- 
porters, and  the  cost  of  telegraphic  and  other 
news. 

Therefore,  thousands  of  newspapers  are  un- 
able to  be  as  independent  as  their  editors  and 
owners  desire,  and  are  forced  to  maintain  policies, 
and  to  run  or  omit  news  and  other  matter,  which 
would  not  appear  or  would  appear,  if  it  were  not 
necessary  to  maintain  a  circulation  sufficiently 
large  for  the  carrying  of  profitable  advertising. 

The  great  newspaper  receives  thousands  of  dol- 
lars every  day  from  its  advertisers.  One  news- 
paper, in  New  York,  obtains  about  twelve  hundred 
dollars  per  page  per  day  for  advertising,  and 
several  newspapers  receive  as  much  as  five  hun- 
dred or  more  dollars  for  the  insertion  of  a  single 
page  of  advertising  in  one  issue. 

Conditions,  then,  require  a  business  manage- 
ment of  the  highest  order, —  the  same  quality  of 
business-bringing  ability  as  is  necessary  for  the 
profitable  maintenance  of  other  large  corpora- 
tions or  business  institutions. 

The   great  newspaper  is   usually  owned  by   a 


THE  BUSINESS  DEPARTMENT      183 

stock  company,  the  directors  of  which  frame  its 
policy,  and,  indirectly  through  the  officials  ap- 
pointed, manage  every  department,  especially  that 
of  the  business. 

The  principal  official  is  the  publisher,  who  may 
or  may  not  be  a  large  stockholder,  but  who  fre- 
quently owns  more  than  half,  or  controls  more 
than  half,  of  the  stock.  He  is,  by  virtue  of  own- 
ership, in  direct  command  of  every  department 
and  official,  including  the  editor-in-chief. 

If  the  publisher  is  not  the  owner  he  will  receive 
a  salary  higher  than  that  paid  to  any  one  else 
connected  with  the  paper,  often  as  much  as  ten 
or  even  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  a  year. 

Under  the  publisher  are  several  business  depart- 
ments, each  officered  by  a  department  head. 

The  office  of  business  manager  is  maintained, 
unless  the  owner  occupies  that  position  himself. 
The  business  manager  is  the  executive  officer,  and 
is  responsible  only  to  the  publisher  or  owner. 

Next  in  importance  comes  the  advertising  de- 
partment, which  is  under  a  competent  advertising 
man,  who  may  do  some  soliciting  besides  mana- 
ging the  advertising  men  or  solicitors.  He  is  paid 


184      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

from  three  to  fifteen  thousand  dollars  a  year.  It 
is  his  duty  to  see  that  the  paper  carries  a  profit- 
able amount  of  advertising,  most  of  which  is 
obtained  by  direct  solicitation,  although  the  news- 
paper advertises  its  advertising  as  a  commodity. 
Advertising  solicitors  receive  from  a  thousand  to 
five  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  probably  a  few 
of  them  draw  salaries  of  ten  thousand  dollars  and 
upwards  annually.  Some  of  these  advertising 
men  devote  their  energy  to  local  advertisers,  while 
others  travel  all  over  the  country. 

A  large  proportion  of  the  great  newspapers 
obtain  their  so-called  foreign  or  outside  adver- 
tising from  what  are  known  as  special  agents, — 
concerns  located  in  the  larger  cities,  which  em- 
ploy advertising  men  who  solicit  advertising  for 
a  number  of  newspapers.  These  special  agents 
work  on  salary  or  commission.  If  on  salary,  they 
receive  from  a  thousand  to  even  five  thousand  dol- 
lars a  year  from  each  newspaper  on  their  list. 

The  publishing  or  business  management  of  the 
newspaper  requires  business  ability  of  the  same 
order  as  that  which  makes  any  other  business 
profitable,  but  the  newspaper  manager  is  likely 


THE  BUSINESS  DEPARTMENT       185 

to  be  more  proficient,  if  he  has  had  newspaper 
experience  as  well  as  that  of  general  business ;  be- 
cause, while  the  work  is  business  pure  and  simple, 
an  intimate  knowledge  of  newspaper  conditions 
is  essential  to  superlative  success.  This  same 
condition  applies  to  advertising  solicitors:  first, 
they  must  be  good  salesmen ;  secondly,  they  must 
understand  newspaper  requirements,  for  while  the 
soliciting  of  advertising  is  not  removed  from  that 
of  ordinary  business,  it  requires,  as  a  rule,  a  little 
different  caliber  of  man  than  it  does  to  sell  what 
are  usually  considered  commodities. 

The  press  and  composing  rooms  of  the  news- 
paper are  under  the  direction  of  the  superintend- 
ent or  foreman,  who  receives  from  a  thousand  to 
two  or  three  thousand  dollars  a  year.  He  must 
be  a  good  executive  and  possess  mechanical  abil- 
ity; but  knowledge  of  business  is  not  necessary. 

The  circulation  department  is  one  of  consid- 
erable importance,  and  is  under  the  direction  of  a 
head  who  receives  from  three  to  several  thousand 
dollars  a  year.  He  is  virtually  the  seller  of  the 
newspaper,  and  must  be  in  close  touch  with  the 
business,  editorial,  and  reportorial  departments. 


186     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

He,  as  well  as  the  editors  and  reporters,  keeps  his 
finger  upon  the  public  pulse.  He  occupies,  to 
some  extent,  a  position  similar  to  that  of  the  di- 
recting editor. 

The  newspaper  is  unlike  many  other  enter- 
prises, because  its  publication  requires  the  main- 
tenance of  manufacturing,  business,  and  editorial 
departments,  each  separated  from  the  others,  but 
all  working  together  in  profitable  harmony. 

As  a  rule,  first-class  editorial  writers  and  re- 
porters are  unfitted  to  occupy  positions  in  the 
business  department,  but  occasionally  there  are 
found  men  who  are  both  editorial  writers  and 
business  managers.  These  men  devote  most  of 
their  time  either  to  the  business  management  or 
to  the  editorial  side,  because  no  one  man  can  do 
two  things  equally  well. 

While  the  editor  and  reporter  need  not  be 
familiar  with  the  business  side  of  publishing  a 
newspaper,  the  publisher  or  business  manager 
should  not  be  ignorant  of  editorial  writing  and 
news-gathering,  although  he  need  not  be  skilled  at 
either.  He  should,  to  some  extent,  be  a  com- 
posite man,  who  knows  how  to  sell  what  is  pro- 


THE  BUSINESS  DEPARTMENT      187 

duced,    and    understands,    to    some    extent,    the 
{process  of  making  the  goods  which  he  sells. 

The  publishing  or  business  management  of  the 
smaller  papers  is  similar  to  that  of  the  larger 
ones,  except  that  there  are  fewer  men  in  com- 
mand and  A  lesser  number  of  departments  main- 
tained; but  all  periodicals,  including  newspapers, 
find  it  necessary  to  maintain  advertising  solicitors, 
except  the  weekly  newspapers.  In  many  cases  the 
publisher,  editor,  or  owner  attends  to  the  business 
as  well  as  assumes  the  responsibility  for  the  edi- 
torials and  news. 


CHAPTER  XL 

No  CHANGE  IN  SIGHT 

BY  way  of  introduction  to  what  I  am  about 
to  write,  may  I  not  present  a  concrete  case 
or  example? 

A  young  friend  of  mine  is,  perhaps,  the  most 
brilliant  and  efficient  reporter  connected  with  the 
press  of  a  large  city.  He  began  at  the  bottom, 
his  ability  has  been  recognized,  and  he  handles 
what  are  known  as  "  leaders  "  or  "  first-page " 
articles.  His  command  of  English  is  remarkable, 
and  he  possesses  the  unusual  capacity  of  being 
able  to  present  facts  in  the  most  charming  and 
readable  style.  He  is  not  a  sensationalist.  He 
has  considerable  literary  ability,  and  has  already 
written  one  book  of  unquestionable  merit. 

He  is  an  ideal  reporter,  possessing  all  of  the 
qualifications  necessary  for  superlative  success 

in  this  direction.     He  is  connected  with  a  paper 
188 


NO  CHANGE  IN  SIGHT  189 

which  is  extremely  profitable,  and  he  is  at  the  head 
of  the  reportorial  staff.  This  paper  has  the 
largest  circulation  in  its  territory,  much  of  which 
is  undoubtedly  due  to  its  efficiency  in  handling 
important  local  news. 

As  this  young  man  is  responsible  for  the  best 
local  news  appearing  in  the  paper,  and  for  the 
kind  which  is  most  acceptable  to  its  readers,  it 
may  be  assumed  that  to  him  should  be  given  much 
of  the  credit  for  making  his  newspaper  so  popu- 
lar. Yet,  with  all  of  this  ability,  he  receives  a 
merely  nominal  salary,  not  half  what  is  paid  to 
the  efficient  broker's  clerk  or  to  those  connected 
with  the  business  or  editorial  departments  below 
those  of  the  manager  and  head  editor. 

I  am  not  depreciating  the  money-making  and 
business-bringing  ability  of  those  who  manage 
the  newspaper.  I  am  well  aware  that  manage- 
ment has,  in  many  cases,  more  to  do  with  success 
than  has  the  work  of  those  who,  under  the  man- 
agement, produce  the  material  of  success-making. 
So  long  as  commercialism  controls  most  of  our 
enterprises,  the  man  who  knows  how  to  handle 
men  and  affairs,  to  play  them  as  he  would  chess 


190      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

upon  a  chessboard,  will  receive  the  far  greater 
emolument  for  his  services. 

Notwithstanding  this  condition,  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  profits  are  unevenly  and  unfairly  di- 
vided. 

While  I  would  not  suggest  that  this  reporter, 
or  that  any  other  man  correspondingly  responsi- 
ble for  the  success  of  the  newspaper,  receive  a 
financial  return  equal  to  those  who  manage  it,  I 
greatly  deplore  present  conditions,  which  may  be 
necessary,  and  which  give  so  little  in  money  to 
those  without  whom  the  best  business  management 
would  be  worthless. 

I  do  not  propose  here,  or  anywhere  else,  in  this 
book,  to  discuss  capital  and  labor,  notwithstand- 
ing the  terrible  abuses  practiced  by  capital,  and 
the  unreasonableness  of  some  labor  leaders  and 
of  many  laboring  men.  There  is  fault  on  both 
sides ;  but  the  sympathy  of  the  nation  is,  un- 
doubtedly, discriminating  in  favor  of  the  work- 
men, whether  he  uses  pen  or  spade,  who  does  not, 
as  he  runs,  receive  what  equity  entitles  him  to. 

It  may  be  said,  in  extenuation,  that  it  is  easy 
to  obtain  men  of  the  caliber  of  my  friend,  the 


NO  CHANGE  IN  SIGHT  191 

reporter,  and  that  it  is  difficult  to  find  first-class 
business  men  and  managers.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  market  appears  to  be  flooded  with  effi- 
cient managers,  as  well  as  with  proficient  report- 
ers and  editors,  and  others  who  do  the  actual 
work.  Comparatively  few  men  cannot  be  replaced. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  withdrawal  of  this  re- 
porter from  his  newspaper  would  not  materially 
effect  its  circulation,  even  if  a  man  of  half  his 
ability  should  take  his  place.  It  is  also  as  evi- 
dent that  the  paper  would  probably  succeed  if 
any  one  of  its  managers  should  resign. 

The  indispensable  man  seldom  exists,  and  I  am 
inclined  to  feel  that  he  never  has  existed,  and  never 
will. 

I  do  not  know  how  to  remedy  this  condition, 
except  by  the  up-building  of  public  character  and 
integrity,  and  by  instilling  into  the  public  mind 
a  better  sense  of  proportion. 

The  process  is  a  long  one,  and,  therefore,  does 
not  appeal  to  the  average  reformer,  who  would 
change  the  world  into  his  way  of  running  by  the 
introduction  of  some  one  reform  or  of  something 
which  appears  to  take  immediate  effect.  We  are 


192     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

still  in  an  uncivilized  state,  notwithstanding  our 
boasted  culture,  education,  and  refinement.  We 
have  not  yet  learned  to  handle  human  affairs  a* 
the  progressive  physician  treats  a  pimple.  He, 
instead  of  applying  a  salve  to  the  surface  of  the 
pimple,  and  thereby  driving  it  back  into  the  sys- 
tem, cleanses  the  system  of  pimple-making  virus. 

I  mention  this  incident  that  I  may  be  fair  with 
the  would-be  newspaper  writer,  and  present  to  him 
the  shadows,  as  well  as  the  lights  of  journalism. 
Unless  he  possesses  unusual  business  ability,  or  is 
extremely  proficient  in  editorial  or  managerial 
work,  he  cannot  hope  to  obtain  more  than  a  mod- 
erate income,  even  though  what  he  does  is  as 
necessary  to  the  success  of  the  paper  as  are  the 
qualities  possessed  and  exercised  by  those  at  the 
head.  He  must  accept  conditions  as  they  are, 
and  the  best  he  can  do  is  to  help  the  present  gen- 
eration to  make  it  easier  for  the  coming  generation 
to  remedy  inconsistencies  and  evils. 

I  do  not  propose  to  analyze  those  peculiar  qual- 
ities which  go  to  make  commercial  success,  as  com- 
pared with  those  which  produce  the  actual  work, 
without  which  money  could  not  be  made  or  any 


NO  CHANGE  IN  SIGHT  193 

kind  of  a  result  be  obtained.  Some  men  possess 
commercial  instinct  and  ability,  while  others  seem 
to  be  entirely  devoid  of  them.  On  the  other  hand, 
thousands  of  our  best  writers,  who  produce  the 
printed  words  which  cannot  die,  appear  to  have 
absolutely  no  grasp  upon  business  affairs,  and 
would  starve  to  death  if  it  were  not  for  their  com- 
mercial agents,  who  market  their  products. 

In  this  age  of  commercialism,  men  and  things 
are  purchased  on  the  market  under  an  unfair, 
cruel,  and  even  criminal  law,  which  governs  mar- 
ket prices,  and  the  supply  and  demand. 

So  long  as  men  like  my  friend,  the  reporter, 
will  work  at  moderate  salaries,  and  so  long  as 
other  men  of  ability  can  be  easily  obtained  to  take 
their  places,  and  so  long  as  custom  will  reward 
the  manager  more  than  he  deserves  in  comparison, 
the  would-be  journalist  must  expect  this  handicap 
and  govern  himself  accordingly. 

Commercialism, —  and  everything  we  do  in  the 
way  of  money-making  is  adulterated  with  it, — 
holds  the  trump  card  in  the  game  of  modern  life. 

Wait!  Right  will  rightly  have  the  right  of 
way,  eventually,  if  not  now. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

THE  TAKING  OF  ADVICE 

WHILE  much  of  free  advice  is  worth  just 
what  is  paid  for  it, —  nothing, —  the  ad- 
vice of  competent  persons  should  not  be  despised. 

The  man  who  depends  upon  himself,  and  who  is 
unwilling  to  take  counsel  with  others,  never  gets 
.anywhere,  and  does  not  deserve  to. 

Advice,  however,  like  all  other  good  things, 
should  not  be  taken  without  the  use  of  discretion, 
for  much  of  it  is  unintentionally  biased. 

The  perfectly  balanced  person  does  not  exist. 
All  of  us,  even  those  who  make  strenuous  effort  to 
render  fair  judgment,  are  unconsciously  influ- 
enced, and  our  opinion,  although  conscientiously 
expressed,  may,  because  of  environment  and  con- 
ditions, be  altogether  one-sided,  and  frequently 
may  be  unsafe. 

Therefore,  I  say,  do  not  accept  unqualifiedly 
the  advice  of  any  one  person,  no  matter  how  ex- 
pert or  competent  he  may  be.  Unless  others, 
194 


THE  TAKING  OF  ADVICE  195 

equally  proficient,  agree  with  him,  it  is  usually 
unsafe  to  follow  his  advice  indiscriminately. 

The  successful  journalist,  and  particularly  one 
who  has  not  passed  through  all  of  the  hardships 
of  his  calling,  naturally  sees  j  ournalism  through  a 
rose-colored  glass,  and  is  likely  to  be  altogether 
too  optimistic. 

On  the  other  hand,  one  who  has  met  with  con- 
stant disaster,  due  to  his  own  fault  or  to  circum- 
stances, is  likely  to  be  pessimistic  and  to  condemn 
emphatically  this  vocation  as  a  whole. 

Notwithstanding  this  diversity  of  opinion,  and 
the  fact  that  advice  is  not  infallible,  no  one  should 
enter  journalism,  or  any  other  calling,  without 
conversing  with  those  who  have  both  succeeded 
and  failed  in  it. 

The  would-be  newspaper  man  should  obtain  a 
general  prospect  of  the  situation  by  coming  in 
contact  with  both  classes  of  journalists, —  those 
who  are  successes  and  those  who  are  failures. 

From  the  mass  of  advice  he  may  obtain,  if  he 
be  intelligent,  a  fairly  correct  insight  into  what 
will  be  likely  to  occur  to  him  if  he  enters  this  call- 
ing. 


CHAPTER  XLII 


TECHNICAL  OR  NEWSPAPER  TERMS 

THE  following  condensed  dictionary  of  tech- 
nical  terms,   used  by  newspaper  men   and 
printers,  may  be  of  benefit  to  the  reader.     I  have 
presented  only  those  in  common  use. 


Ad.  OP  A dv.= Advertisement. 

Advertising  agent. =A  jobber 
in  advertising;  one  who 
purchases  advertising  in 
the  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines and  sells  it  to  adver- 
tisers, his  remuneration 
coming  from  commissions. 

Agate.  — 5%  Point  type.  The 
size  of  type  used  for  set- 
ting the  "  want  "  or  clas- 
sified advertisements  in 
daily  newspapers',  and  the 
standard  of  advertising 
space  measure.  Fourteen 
lines  set  solid  make  the 
depth  of  an  inch. 

Antique.  =  The  face  of  type 
much  used  in  advertising, 
and  differing  from  Roman 
in  that  it  is  a  little  heav- 
ier and  has  the  cross  or 
ending  strokes  slightly 
prominent. 

Ascending  letters.  =  Letters 
reaching  upwards,  as  b,  d, 
f,  h,  k,  etc. 

Author's  corrections.  =  The 
corrections  or  changes 
made  by  the  author  in 
proofs.  If  there  are  many 


of  them,  they  are  usually 
made  at  the  expense  of  the 
author,  at  from  fifty  to 
eighty  cents  per  hour  for 
the  time  of  the  composi- 
tor. Newspapers'  do  not 
charge  for  author's  correc- 
tions. 

Author's  proof.=The  proof, 
accompanied  by  a  manu- 
script, sent  to  the  writer. 
Proofs  with  corrections 
marked  upon  them  and  ac- 
companied by  the  original 
manuscript  may  be  mailed 
at  the  rate  of  two  ounces 
for  a  cent. 

Bad  copy.  =  Manuscript  not 
easily  read,  and  hard  to 
set. 

Bimonthly. =A  publication  is- 
sued every  two  months. 

Biweekly. =A  publication  is- 
sued every  two  weeks. 

Body  type.=The  face,  of  type 
used  for  the  reading  mat- 
ter in  newspapers,  period- 
icals, and  books. 

Bold  face.^A  style  of  type 
resembling  Roman,  with 
the  thicker  strokes  of  the 


196 


TECHNICAL  TERMS 


197 


letter  much  heavier.  It  is 
sometimes  called  "  Full 
Face." 

Booklet. =A  small  book  or 
pamphlet;  a  term  usually 
applied  to  a  pamphlet 
smaller  than  a  catalogue. 

Book  paper.=A  general  term 
applying  to  the  size  and 
quality  of  the  paper  used 
for  a  book,  the  standard 
size  being  25x38  inches.  A 
half-sheet  is  25x19  inches. 
Book  paper  is,  however, 
made  to  order  in  any  size 
required. 

Border.^ Plain  or  ornamental 
lines  set  around  printed 
matter. 

Bourgeois.  =  9  Point  type. 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Brass  rules. = Strips  of  brass 
of  a  type  height,  printing 
single  or  double  lines  or 
ornamental  designs. 

Brevier. =8  Point  type.  See 
chapter  "  About  Type." 

Canon.  =  44  Point  type.  See 
chapter  "About  Type." 

Caps.=Capital  letters. 

Caption. =The  title  of  an  il- 
lustration, appearing  either 
below  or  above  it. 

Case.  =  The  boxes  holding 
type. 

Chase. =The  metallic  frame 
holding  type  while  being 
printed,  electrotyped,  or 
stereotyped. 

Circulation. =The  number  of 
copies  of  a  newspaper  or 
periodical  actually  sold  or 
distributed. 

Clarendon. =A  type  face  re- 
sembling ordinary  Roman 
and  rounder  than  Antique. 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Clean  p  r  oof. = Proofs  needing 
few  corrections'. 

Close  matter.=Type  set  close 
together,  with  few  para- 
graphs, and  with  neither 
break  lines  nor  leads. 

Coated  paper. = A  paper  with 
a  very  hard  and  smooth 
finish,  especially  adapted 
to  the  printing  of  half- 
tone engravings. 

Composing  stick.^The  metal 


contrivance  in  which  type 
is  set. 

Composition   or  composing.— 

The     setting     of     type     in 

words  and  arranging  them 

into  lines. 

Copy.  =  The    printer's    term 

for  manuscripts. 
Cuts.=:The  printer's  term  for 
engravings     and     illustra- 
tions. 

d.=Daily. 

Dash.^A  line,  plain  or  orna- 
mental, between  type  mat- 
ter. 

Dead  matter.  =  Set-up  type 
not  to  be.  used,  but  to  be 
distributed. 

Descending  letters.  =  Lines 
running  downwards,  as  p, 
q,  j,  etc. 

Display. = Words  or  lines  set 
in  large  type  or  separated 
from  surrounding  matter 
by  spaces  or  rules. 

Distributing.  ^Returning  type 
which  has  been  set  to  its 
proper  place  in  the  case. 

Double  Great  Primer.  =  36 
Point  type.  See  chapter 
"  About  Type." 

Double-leaded. ^Matter  with 
two  leads  between  the 
lines. 

Double  Paragon.  =  40  Point 
type.  See,  chapter  "  About 
Type." 

Double  Small  Pica. =22  Point 
type.  See  chapter  "  About 
Type." 

Dummy.  =  A  general  layout 
of  any  job  of  printing  (cat- 
alogue or  book),  used  to 
give  an  idea  as  to  how  the 
work  will  look  when  fin- 
ished. 

Duodecimo. =Half  a  sheet  of 
book  paper  (19x25  inches), 
folded  into  12  leaves,  mak- 
ing 24  pages.  18mo.,  18 
leaves  or  36  pages,  24mo., 
24  leaves  or  48  pages. 

e.d.=Every  day. 

e.i.=Every  issue. 

Electrotype.  =  A  copper-cov- 
ered duplicate  of  type  or 
other  matter  of  type  height 
with  a  wooden  or  metallic 
base. 


198      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 


Em.=:The  square  of  a  type 
body,  called  "  em "  be- 
cause the  body  of  an  "  m  " 
in  Roman  type  is1  gen- 
erally square.  See  chap- 
ter "  About  Type." 

e.m.=:Every  month. 

En.— Half  of  an  em. 

English. =14  Point  type.  See 
chapter  "About  Type." 

e.o.d.=: Every  oiher  day. 

e.o.L— Every  other  issue. 

e.o.m.^Every  other  month. 

e.o.w.=Every  other  week. 

Even  page.=The  pages  of  a 
book  which  have  the  even 
numbers,  2,  4,  6,  8,  etc. 

e.w.= Every  week. 

Fancy  letters.  =  Type  faces 
that  are  not  plain  and  sim- 
ple in  style. 

Fat  matter.=L,eaded  or  open 
matter. 

f.f.=Full  Face. 

Folio. r=Half  a  sheet  of  book 
paper,  19x25  inches,  folded 
into  two  leaves  or  four 
pages.  Is  also  applied  to 
the  running  numbers  of 
pages  in  a  book. 

Policing. =Paging  a  book. 

Follow  copy. = When  written 
on  copy  means  that  the 
copy  must  be  followed  ex- 
actly or  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible, in  every  respect. 

Footnote. =Matter  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  page  usually  set 
in  small  type  and  some- 
times preceded  by  a  ref- 
erence mark  corresponding 
to  a  similar  one  in  the  body 
of  the  text. 

Form. = A  page  or  series  of 
pages  locked  up  in  the 
chase,  ready  for  the  press 
or  stereotyper  or  electro- 
typer. 

Galley.=A  long  tray  for  the 
holding  of  live  or  dead 
type  matter,  known  as 
"  live  galley  "  and  "  dead 
galley." 

Galley  proofs. :=  First  proofs; 
proofs  of  type  which  have 
not  been  made  up  into 
pages  or  arranged  in  more 
than  one  column. 

Full  f ace. = Roman  type  with 


heavy  lines ;  sometimes 
called  Bold  Face. 

Great  Prlmer.=18  Point  type. 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Gothic.  =  A  perfectly  plain 
type  face  without  shading 
and  with  all  or  most  of  the 
lines  of  the  same  thickness. 
Gothic  is  known  as  Gothic, 
Gothic  Condensed,  Gothic 
Extended,  and  Lining 
Gothic,  etc.,  the  latter  hav- 
ing a  very  thin  face. 
Some  faces  of  Gothic  are 
known  by  arbitrary  names. 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Half  sheet.^A  half  sheet  of 
standard  book  paper  is 
19x25  inches. 

Half-tones.=:Engravings.  See 
chapter  "  The  Art  Depart- 
ment." 

Imposing.  =  Arranging  set 
type  for  the  press.  It 
should  not  be  confused 
with  "  composing,"  which 
refers  to  the  setting  of 
type. 

Imprint.  =  The  publisher's  or 
printer's  name  appended  to 
a  book  or  job. 

Indention.  =  The  space  to  the 
left  at  the  beginning  of  a 
paragraph. 

Inset  or  Insert.  —  Page  or 
pages>  inserted  between  the 
regular  folded  pages  of  a 
book  or  newspaper. 

Job  printing.=A  term  applied 
to  every  class  of  commer- 
cial printing  except  that  of 
newspapers,  catalogues,  and 
books. 

Justifying.  =  Making  both 
ends  of  the  type  lines  even 
by  proper  spacing. 

l.c.=Lower  case. 

Leaded  matter.  =  Type  with 
leads  between  the  lines. 

Leaders.  —  Dots1  or  hyphens 
placed  at  intervals;  usually 
used  in  indexes. 

Leads.  =  Strips  of  metal  of 
various  thicknesses  for 
spacing  between  type  lines. 
The  thickness  is  generally 
reckoned  on  a  Pica  basis 
as'  6-to-Pica,  etc.  Six  6- 
to-Pica  leads  have  the 


TECHNICAL  TERMS 


199 


width  of  one  Pica  line,  and 
36  will  make  an  inch. 
Thicker  leads  are  usually 
called  slugs. 

Lean  matter.^Type  set  close 
tog-ether  and  solid. 

Lean  type.  =  Type  with  a  very 
thin  face. 

Letter  press.  =  Printing-  from 
movable  type  or  electro- 
types; a  term  used  to  dis- 
tinguish regular  printing 
from  steel  and  copper  en- 
graving and  lithography. 

Live  copy.=Manuscript  ready 
to  be  set. 

Long  Primer.  =  10  Point  type. 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Lower  case.=Small  letters. 

m.= Monthly. 

Matrix.=The  mold  of  a  type 
or  of  anything  else  to  be 
cast. 

Matter.  =  Type  which  has 
been  set  is  designated  as 
"  live  matter,"  "  standing 
matter,"  or  "  dead  mat- 
ter " ;  also  refers  to  manu- 
scripts in  general. 

Minion.  =  7  Point  type.  See 
chapter  "About  Type." 

Modern  Roman. =A  style  of 
Roman  face  heavier  than 
that  of  Old  Style  Roman. 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Ms. = Manuscript. 

Nonpareil.  =  6  Point  type.  See 
chapter  '•  About  Type." 

n.r.=Next  to  reading  matter. 

Octavo.=Half  a  sheet  of 
book  paper  folded  into  8 
leaves  or  16  pages. 

Odd  pages.  =  The  pages  of  a 
book  or  newspaper  given 
the  odd  numbers,  3,  5,  7, 
etc.  ' 

Old  Style  Roman. =A  face  of 
type  generally  rounder  and 
more  open  than  modern 
Roman. 

Open  matter.  =  Type  matter 
with  many  paragraphs  and 
leaded. 

Paragon. =20  Point  type.  See 
chapter  "  About  Type." 

"  Patent  insldes  "  or  "  out- 
sides."  =  See  chapter  about 
"  Cooperative  Newspapers." 


Photo-engravings. rrSee  chap- 
ter "  The  Art  Department." 

Pi.=Mixed-up  type. 

Pica.  =  12  Point  type.  See 
chapter  "  About  Type." 

Plates.  =  Electrotypes  or 
stereotypes;  also  refers  to 
engravings. 

Point  system.  =  The  new 
method  of  measuring  type, 
based  on  72  points  to  an 
inch.  The  point  system 
takes'  the  place  of  the  old 
style  names  like  Brevier, 
Pica,  etc. 

Presswork.=Printing  upon  a 
printing  press. 

q.= Quarterly. 

Quad  or  Quadrat.^A  space 
placed  between  words  set 
in  type. 

Quarto. = A  half  sheet  of  book 
paper  folded  into  4  leaves 
or  8  pages. 

Reading  matter.  =  That  part 
of  the  manuscript  or  type 
matter  containing  the.  sub- 
stance of  the  work  and 
distinct  from  headlines  and 
display  matter. 

Reprint  or  reprint  copy.= 
Matter  already  s'et  and 
printed. 

Revised  or  revised  proof.= 
Proofs  after  corrections 
have  been  made,  upon 
them. 

Roman  type.  =  The  ordinary 
type  face  used  for  reading 
matter. 

Run  in.=A  term  used  when 
it  is  desirable  to  have  mat- 
ter which  has  been  para- 
graphed set  without  para- 
graphs. 

Running  head.  =  The  name  of 
the  title  or  of  a  book  or 
chapter  placed  at  the  top 
of  each  page. 

Side  heads. =Words  in  neav- 
ier  or  larger  type  than  the 
body  matter,  set  at  the  left 
of  the  page  or  column. 

Signature. =A  letter  or  figure 
placed  on  each  of  the  sheets 
of  a  book  or  pamphlet,  as 
a  guide  in  arranging  or 
folding  them;  also  a  print- 
ed sheet  so  marked. 


200      THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 


Slug.^A  thick  lead. 

s.m.  =  Semimonthly. 

Small  caps  (s.c.).  =  Small  cap- 
ital letters. 

Small  Pica  (11  Point  type,).— 
See  chapter  "  About  Type." 

Solid. ^Unleaded  type. 

Spaces.  =:Pieces  of  lead,  but 
not  of  type,  height,  and 
not  as  wide  as  an  "  n," 
placed  between  words. 

Standing  matter.  —  Set  up 
type  to  be  printed  from  or 
which  has  been  printed 
from  and  is  held  to  be 
printed  from  again. 

Stereotypes.  =  Duplicates  of 
type  matter  cast  into  a 
solid  body  of  lead. 

Stet.  — Signifies,  when  writ- 
ten opposite  an  erroneous 
correction,  that  no  atten- 
tion is  to  be  paid  to  such 
correction. 

Stick.  =  Composing  stick  in 
which  type  is  set,  or  equal 
measure  of  type. 

s.w.=:  Semi  weekly. 

Table  work.  =  The  setting  of 
figures  and  tables  of  mat- 
ter. 

Size  and  calender.  =  Refers  to 
the  finish  of  ordinary  book 


paper  and  to  a  quality  be- 
tween news  paper  and 
coated  paper. 

S.  &  C.  =  Size  and  calender. 

t.c.  =  Top  of  column. 

t.f.^Till  forbidden. 

Token.  =  500  sheets  printed  on 
one  side,  or  250  sheets 
printed  on  both  sides. 
Press  work  is  usually 
charged  by  the  token. 

tr.  =  Transpose. 

Upper  case. — Capital  letters. 

w=Weekly. 

Wrong  font.  =  The  wrong 
style  or  face  of  letter. 

w.f.=:  Wrong  font. 

2  t.a.w.,  3  t.a.w.,  etc.=Mean- 
ing  two  times  a  week,  or 
three  times  a  week,  etc. 

A  single  line  drawn  beneath 
words  signifies  that  they 
are  to  be  set  in  italics; 
two  lines,  for  small  cap- 
itals; and  three  lines  for 
capitals. 

O. — A  circle  drawn  around 
numerals  and  figures,  in 
some  offices,  signifies  that 
the  figures  are  to  be  spelled 
out  in  letters. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

PROOF-READING 

ALL  newspapers,  except  those  published  in 
the  small  towns,  employ  one  or  more  proof- 
readers, each  of  whom  has  an  assistant  who  is 
known  as  a  copy-holder. 

The  proof-reader,  and  his  copy-holder,  alter- 
nate the  reading  of  the  proof  and  the  manuscript, 
but  the  proof-reader  alone  makes  the  corrections. 

Many  proof-readers  have  enjoyed  liberal  edu- 
cations, and  probably  half  of  the  most  responsible 
ones  are  college  graduates.  A  collegiate  educa- 
tion, however,  is  not  essential,  provided  one  has  a 
large  command  of  English  and  is  thoroughly  pro- 
ficient in  punctuation,  spelling,  and  construction. 

The  first-class  proof-reader,  however,  is  more 
than  a  mere  English  scholar.  He  possesses  that 
peculiar  ability  of  locating  errors  of  fact,  as  well 
as  those  of  spelling  and  punctuation. 

It  has  been  said  that  there  does  not  exist  a  book, 
magazine,  or  newspaper  free  from  error.  A 


THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

friend  of  mine,  one  of  the  editors  of  a  great  dic- 
tionary, told  me  that  this  unabridged  volume  con- 
tained as  many  errors  as  there  were  pages, — 
mistakes  in  spelling,  punctuation,  definition,  or 
construction. 

The  proof-reader's  duty,  then,  is  not  only  to 
correct  the  errors  in  spelling,  punctuation,  and 
grammar,  but  he  should  be  able  to  locate  incon- 
sistencies and  misstatements,  which  he  does  not 
correct  but  queries,  writing  a  question  mark  in 
the  margin  opposite  them. 

Efficient  proof-readers  are  paid  from  fifteen  to 
eighteen  dollars  a  week,  a  few  receiving  higher 
salaries  if  they  do  technical  or  difficult  work. 

Every  newspaper  man  and  writer  should  under- 
stand the  fundamentals  of  proof-reading,  that  he 
may  be  able  properly  to  mark  his  proofs,  although 
many  newspaper  writers  seldom  see  proofs  of  their 
work. 

I  present  practically  all  of  the  proof  marks  or 
signs  used  in  newspaper  and  printing  offices. 
These  vary  slightly  in  different  offices,  but  any 
printer  or  compositor  will  readily  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  characters  given  here. 


PROOF-READING 

t  will  not  go.  —  I  WILL  not  go; 


— 


William    lack. 


Boston,  Mass. 


Boston  Tribune. 


Chicago  Express. 


Go  iiTto  the  hall. 


Trais  stop  here. 


ails 


William  Black. 


BOSTON,  Mass. 


Boston  Tribune. 


Chicago  Express. 


Go  in 


Trains  stop  here. 


Hundreds  of  dogs.     Thousands  of  cats.  -M»       Hundreds  of  dogs. 

Thousands  of  cats. 


204     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

A  great  fair. 


A  Great  /air.  Ji  • 

( 


f      f 

C"  He  called  him  honorable  1  "    \S    \/  "  He  called  him  «  honorable  M 
A  ^ 


Timothy  Titcomb  J.  G.  Holland.  C  /  J  Timothy  Titcomb  0.  G.  Holland) 


Wendell  PMKps/ Orations.       J  I  Wendell  Phillips  :  Orations. 

(c  i 

Stones  grow/animals  live.         J/  Stones  grow;  animals  live; 


Fie,  my  lord/a  soldier?         J 

re 


ier?         /  /  F»e,  my  lord!  a  soldier^ 


'Twas  Caesar.  'Twas  Caesar.) 


PROOF-READING  205 


!/you  so.  (J% 


<Jo  to  bed. 


Where  ishe  ? 


with  melquickly. 


o/  Go7  Go.     4  |         I 


f  told  you  so. 


Tell  me  youro»<ffname.         Q*»  Tell  me  your  name* 


Go  to  your  bcd> 


Where  is  he? 


Come  with  me  quickly,11 


Go  —  Go—  Go, 


Fish/  Fish.     I          3._  I  Fish  -  Fish  -  Fish} 


206     THE  HANDBOOK  OF  JOURNALISM 

(Are  you  going  ?  ^»  *>      JL        Are  you  going  ?     Are  you  we,j  ? 

Are  you  well  ? 

(Vsro  ^c^<*Y^<) 

50  pns,  o  . 

25  needles,  ^         f<  ws*K*    ^**      50  pins,  25  needles,  75  thimbles. 


pins, 
needl 
thimbles. 


GoW  morning  !  \+j  f  Good  morning  ? 


I  don*t  yw^-  to  go. 


| 


!  don't  want  to  go7 


F°r  you 


_  , 

A  selectionfsufficient  for  both  of  us.     A  sufficient  selection  for  both  of  u£) 

) 
East  and  WestT1 


A  practical  school  for  men:) 


PROOF-READING 


207 


I  love  you/  Do  you  love  me/   ©/  ?  I    I  love  you.     Do  you  love  me  > 


Druggists  sundries. 


V 


Some  pens  paper  and  ink.      *lj    I  Some  pens,  paper,  and  ink.) 

A>,    A  /     / 


Druggists'  sundries. 


Hallos  Romeo.^ 
^\         A 


A  well  wisher. 


55   / 

1 


Hall's  "  Romeo  » 


A  weU-wisher^ 


l  go. 
will  go. 

I  hey  will  go.    f  Si 


He  will  go. 

They  wil1  g°' 


Take  Notice. 


(S^Take  Notice. 


INDEX 


About  type,  158 

Advertising  department  of 
a  newspaper,  179 

Advice,   194 

Art  department,  105 

Book  reviewer,  44 

Business  department  of  a 
newspaper,  179 

By  way  of  introduction,  1 

Caption  writer,  62 

City  editor,  64 

Cooperative  newspapers,  124 

Copy,  151 

Country  newspaper  oppor- 
tunities, 139 

Desk  editor,  84 

Dramatic  editor,  38 

Editorial  writers,  29 

Editor-in-chief,  23 

Financial  editor,  49 

Head  or  caption  writer,   62 

Journalism,    schools   of,   128 

Linotype,  172 

Literary  editor,  36 

Makers  of  newspapers,  11 

Managing  editor,  27 

Manuscript  or  copy,   151 

Monotype,  172 


Musical  editor,  42 

News  and  telegraph  editor, 

32 
News-distributing  companies 

and  associations,  110 
Newspaper  terms,  196 
Newspaper      writer,      what 

makes  the,  18 
Newspapers  and  periodicals, 

4 

Newspapers,  makers  of,  11 
Night  editor,  57 
Night  work,  108 
No  change  in  sight,  188 
Nose  for  news,  84 
Patent-insides  or  cooperative 

newspapers,  124 
Periodicals,  4 
Plate  matter,  114 
Political  editor,  52 
Printing  press,  176 
Proof-reading,   201 
Publishing    or    business    de- 
partment of  a  newspaper, 

179 

Reference  editor,  54 
Reporters,   69 
Schools  of  journalism,  128 


210 


INDEX 


Small  daily  newspapers,  132 

Space  writer,  97 

Special   articles,   writers   of, 

101 

Sporting  editor,  59 
Syndicate,    119 
Taking  of  advice,   194 
Technical      or      newspaper 

terms,  196 


Telegraph  editor,  32 
Type,   158 

Typesetting    machines,    172 
Typewritten  copy,  156 
What  makes  the  newspaper 

writer,   18 
Writers   of   special   articles, 

101  Zt>> 


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